DiSorDeR
by ReitaLOVE818
Summary: Features the GazettE, Dir en Grey, Miyavi, Atsushi, Hyde, LM.C, and many others, plus a random girl. First posted on DA in March 2008-October 2008 to much popularity. Enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

My day had started like any other day. It was the middle of January, and outside there was only snow and biting cold. I stood at my post, the register for the CD section of Sir ReadaLot's, a popular bookstore chain. I flicked at my nametag; every day at work was so dull that one time I stacked a mini-fort using CDs. After a brief yawn, I looked over to see who came into the CD department. I usually don't pay too much attention to my customers unless they come to me with questions or recommendations. But something seemed very different about the five young gentlemen who came into my section of the store on this chilly day…  
The first man I noticed had black and blonde hair, the blond running in a streak near the center. The way his eye makeup was placed made his eyes appear almost cat-like. His neck was marked with what looked like claw-marks painted on in black. He was dressed like a rockstar; in fact, all five men were dressed in a very dramatic manner. The second had almost shoulder length hair bleached a sandy blonde; his eyes decorated in a dark blue shadow. I wasn't sure what to make of his shirt, it was cut off on one shoulder. The two were talking, but were doing so too quietly for me to hear.  
Next, in came two more individuals looking as strangely kept as the first two. This third gentleman had his hair worn in dark colors with very soft blonde highlights. His eye makeup wasn't quite so heavy, and although he wasn't smiling, he looked as if he were content with himself somehow. He was wearing an outfit that had plenty of ringlets and leather. The next man looked particularly youthful; his hair was brown, choppy, and layered in an unusual manner. His eyes looked worried for some reason. He was wearing a choker and a vest, and was carrying a cookbook under his arm. I wondered what the cookbook was for, but I suppose that everyone needs to know how to cook something in order to survive…  
The last man to come to the CD section walked in by himself. He seemed a bit detached, as though lost in thought. I admired his hair for a moment, streaks of blonde and brown, with something resembling a mohawk along the top. His eye makeup was soft on top, and a bit heavier in the bottom corners. His eyes had a look of longing, like he desired more out of life but he didn't know quite what it was or where he would find it. He was dressed rather plainly than the others; a black shirt and vest with barbed wire print; he had on a pair of white pants with black barbed wire print to match. I wasn't quite sure why, but I felt a little nervous when I noticed this one, something about him lit a spark in my soul. What caught my curiosity the most, however, was the strange bandana –like cloth he had covering his nose. Why was he wearing it? Did he have a cold? Did he even have a nose? I guess it doesn't really matter.

"Hey, Ruki!" The shout brought me back to my senses. The second gentleman addressed the first one by that name; Ruki. I quickly committed it to memory. The two started talking, and I tried to listen. I could only understand a few words and phrases here and there; they were speaking Japanese. I understood the gist of their conversation. They were looking for Cradle of Filth's "Thornography" CD. I walked over to them, my gate swift and brisk. Trying to look my best, I flipped through some CDs and picked out their selection. I held it out to Ruki. "Is this what you're looking for?"  
"Wakarimashita? …Arigatou Gozaimasu" was the response I received. They probably weren't expecting me to know enough Japanese to be helpful; these guys were in the middle of Michigan, after all. I nodded to them. The fifth gentleman, the one who looked so lost a moment ago, looked at me and motioned for me to come. Blushing slightly, I approached him cautiously. He asked me in the best English he could muster if we had any of the Sex Pistols' rare recordings. My face softened, and I shook my head. I felt so terrible! I motioned for him to follow, and I guided him to my register. Using the computer at my desk, I showed him that we could special order it. He gave me his information so that we could place an order. "Reita…what a cute name," I thought to myself as we finished the transaction. I noticed the address he was sending the CD to was in Suginami, Tokyo. As much as I was crushing on this individual, I probably would never see him again. Still, I couldn't help but try to make conversation…  
"I like the Sex Pistols; they are very good." I said it softly; the other gentlemen probably didn't even hear me speak. Reita nodded and half-smiled. He looked as though he wanted to say something, but didn't know quite how to express it. We stood there; he was staring at me and my face was turning beet red. The youngest of the men came over and said something I didn't understand in Japanese. Reita laughed and gave the young one a playful shove. The baby of the group held out his hand to me. "Kai desu. Reita ga (some word I had never heard) desu yo!" I shook his hand and half-nodded. Reita was glaring at Kai, but he didn't look too angry. Maybe it was because I didn't understand Kai. Confused, I looked down toward the carpeting in the store. I didn't know what else to do at this point.  
Kai ran over to the others, "Uruha! (Something in Japanese; I know he said for his friend to come see something.)" I sighed; the man with the sandy blonde hair came over to see what was going on. As he passed by the third individual, he whispered "Aoi" and motioned for him to come, too. Before I knew it, there were five strange Japanese men looking at me. They were discussing something, but I didn't know what. So many questions ran through my head. Where is my manager? Did I leave the stove on this morning? What are these guys going on about?

Ruki said something; everyone agreed except for Reita. Reita said something similar to "shut up" and something about Kai's face. Kai didn't take to it well. He said something similar to a retort, I heard the words "hai" and "kanojo" . I was getting way too frustrated trying to figure it all out. I went back to my desk and took a seat. I decided to start processing some orders and ignore them. Unfortunately, that did not last long. Uruha came up to me and asked when I get off in broken English. I was only in for another half an hour, and I told him so. He rushed back over to the others, and more Japanese poured out of their mouths. Suddenly, Ruki rushed off. I didn't care where he went off to at this point.  
I continued to process paperwork from my desk, taking random peeks at Reita as I did so. I am not very stealthy, however, and Kai noticed me trying to get a good look at Reita. "Look!" Kai cried out; he then proceeded to point out my attempts to get a good look at Reita. Reita turned, and as he did so, I looked back at my papers. Then, Reita called Kai a baka, and Kai called Reita a bonkura. Their childish argument seemed endless. Ruki returned to my department, but…he brought my manager with him! My manager came to me, told me to go ahead and clock out early, and took my spot at the desk. Ruki motioned for me to come, and I followed the group of gentlemen out to the front of the store.  
Once there, I asked what was going on. The guys wanted me to come with them somewhere. Although I normally don't accept rides from men I had just met, I had a really good feeling about these guys. I hopped in their rental car, and they took me to a nearby hotel. The guys said they had been staying in a room here for two days, and would be here two more. I didn't understand right away why this was relevant. During the ride, I was sitting on the driver's side in the back; Reita had chosen to sit next to me. Or maybe it was coincidence. I tried not to let my feelings show. He kept trying to talk to me about mundane things, I could only mumble and look away. My face felt hot, my hands were clammy, and I tried to keep the graphic mental images in my head; there was no reason to pursue someone I would never see again.  
Once in the hotel room, Aoi and Ruki sat down on one of the Queen sized beds and began explaining who they were. From what I could understand, the guys are a Japanese band called the GazettE. They play a form of rock known in Japan as Visual Kei. That was about all I understood. Ruki was the vocalist, Aoi and Uruha play guitar, Reita was the bassist, and Kai plays drums. I told them that I sing a little and play guitar, and the next thing I know Ruki pulls out an acoustic guitar and asks me to play something. I made the proper tunings, and played "Heart Shaped Box" by Nirvana. I probably would have played something more impressive if I had thought that I could pull it off. I was much too nervous for something elaborate. The guys applauded; Kai said something and everyone laughed except for Reita, who only smiled a little.  
The whole situation felt slightly awkward. Four of the gentleman went into the adjoining room, leaving Reita and I to ourselves. I went to a chair in the corner of the room and took a seat. I tried to pretend that I was the only one in the room, but then, Reita spoke; he simply said "I like you". I didn't know what to say to that so I just said "Arigatou." Even if I wanted to say something else, I would have choked on those words. Reita came over and gave me a quick hug, which was surprisingly gentle for someone with so much muscle. I stood, looked him in the eyes, and found sincerity and sweetness staring back at me.  
My eyes fell; I found myself looking at the hotel room's carpet this time. Aoi came in the room; he said "Summimasen", grabbed his jacket and walked back into the other room. I asked Reita what they were up to in the other room. Reita motioned for me to follow. We joined the others and found Kai was playing Guitar Hero III on medium. Reita told me that Kai had only been playing for three days. I asked for a go, and shocked them with a 98 percent on "Through the Fire and the Flames" by DragonForce on hard. When they asked how long I owned the game, I replied "I don't". Uruha then asked if anyone had any vodka. I told Reita that I don't like to be around others when they drink. Kai must have heard me; he said "I only go for ringo juusu…no wait, appuru juusu!" Reita told the others he would sit this drinking session out; he didn't want me to have to go home yet, and he didn't want me and Kai to be the only sober ones around.  
As Uruha opened a bottle of Smirnoff, Reita led me back to the room we had been alone in before. He could see I was tired, and I could tell he was also. He pulled back the covers on one of the beds, handed me one of his robes, and told me I could take a nap if I wanted. I went into the hotel room's bathroom and got dressed. When I came back out, I found that Reita was lying in the bed in a wife beater and boxer shorts. I walked over to the bed and let down my hair. I climbed into bed, being careful to do so without looking provocative. Reita set the timer on his cell phone, wrapped his arms around my waist, and fell asleep within five minutes. Our nap was entirely uneventful.  
Before I knew it, I heard the buzzing of Reita's cell phone alarm going off. I mumbled and wriggled my way out of his arms. Adjusting my robe, I took a look around. Kai was sleeping in the bed next to ours, Ruki was dead asleep on the floor, so Uruha and Aoi were in the adjoining room. Reita growled softly and turned off the alarm. I looked at the clock in the hotel room. It read 2:30 AM. I stood, stretched, and put my clothes back on. Reita grabbed the keys to the rental car. We walked out to the vehicle; the air was cold and I shuddered. During the drive, Reita asked me what we were to do about our situation. I sighed; to be honest, I really didn't know if we really had a choice. It is, after all, a fourteen-hour flight to Japan. Reita told me to open the glove compartment. When I did so, I found what looked like an all-access pass to a concert. Reita told me that the band was playing in town tomorrow night and that each member had been given an extra pass to give to someone special. Reita picked me…He…picked me! I blushed; it seemed we were moving along quite quickly, but I could tell Reita's intentions were pure. I mean, it was nearing the end of our first time together, and he hadn't kissed me yet. I was more than willing to take things at his pace.  
He pulled into my work's parking lot. He asked if I was awake enough to drive home. I told him yes. Reita filled me on the details of tomorrow's concert. He said that the band would be arriving at about three, and that I could come as early as then. The concert itself wasn't scheduled to start until six, but there is a lot of preparation to be done. He told me that bis would be opening for them. I smiled and nodded; I had little idea that the two bands were labelmates and pretty good friends. Reita gave me a hug and told me good night, and I drove home.  
Upon reaching my room, I laid down in my bed and closed my eyes. I wondered, "what will happen to me tomorrow? After the concert, will I ever see Reita again? Why am I so attached to this man when I just met him?" Without an answer to any of these questions, I had trouble falling asleep. My mind was just reeling; I played out the scenarios in my mind. I hoped that tomorrow night I wouldn't have to say goodbye for good…


	2. Chapter 2

There were swarms of people all around me. I walked to the front of the line, ignoring the whistles I received from the men in line who found my Lolita outfit darling and attractive. I reached the man guarding the door, reached under my shirt and pulled out the all-access pass that I had been hiding. The guard asked my name, and when I supplied it to him, he nodded and let me inside. When I entered the arena, I walked backstage and found the room where the band was staying in before their performance. Before going inside the room, I pulled out a small mirror and made sure that I looked appropriate for an encounter of this sort with Reita.  
I opened the door, and once inside, the first thing I noticed was Uruha shouting "bottoms up" and taking a drink of sake. Kai was lying on the floor, having a hissy-fit for reasons I still don't know. Aoi and Ruki were doing their hair and makeup in front of a large mirror in the corner. Reita's hair and makeup was done already, and he was happily tapping away on a black upright bass in the center of the room. I smiled, and as I walked in, Aoi shouted, "ganbare yo!" and started laughing. Reita leaned the bass up against the wall and walked over to me nonchalantly. Once he got to me, though, he gave me a big hug, right in front of everybody. A collective "aw" rose from the other members. I blushed a little and asked what time their performance started. "Thirty minutes," Kai chirped, "and I am not even dressed yet!"  
I watched in mild fascination as Kai scurried to get ready. I paid close attention to the fact that he set his wallet on top of a shelf, away from the rest of his belongings. If he were to forget it, I wanted to make sure that I could bring it to him. I walked out to the edge of the stage and poked my head around the corner. Thousands of fans, mostly female, were out on the arena floor, waiting for the show to begin. A mild anger hit me; some of those girls had crazy fan-girl crushes on Reita. I listened to the music playing on the speakers in the arena. I thought to myself, "Wow, is this what the GazettE's music sounds like?" Although I was becoming friends with the band, I realized I had never heard their music before. It was powerful and raw, but at the same time, beautiful and sweet. It was even better than I had ever imagined.  
A collective cheer hit my ears, and I noticed bis was starting their set. As opening band, their job was to get the crowd riled up for the main attraction. I went back to the GazettE's room. I gave every member a hug, and Reita received a shoulder massage to relieve his pre-performance tension. As I was rubbing Reita's shoulders, Kai giggled and said, "You picked a good one! Hey Aoi, come check out the contentment on Reita's face!" The only words I picked up were Aoi and Reita no feisu.

Before I knew it, the GazettE left the room to go start their performance. I watched the show from the side stage. Ruki danced during some of the songs, and all of the members looked like they were having a lot of fun. The crowd was insane; they para-para danced and sang with the lyrics to every last song. The band came backstage at the end of the set, got dressed into T-shirts and jeans, and agreed instantly that the crowd deserved an encore performance. Reita asked me to be waiting on the side stage, but he didn't tell me why.  
I watched the band walk out once again. The cheers of the crowd were deafening. Reita took the microphone and said hello to the audience. They went crazy. "One thing before we start," Reita said softly, "I have an announcement to make." One of the staff came out and handed Reita a bouquet of tiger lilies. He looked over at the side of the stage and said, "These are for you." I walked out shyly and gave Reita a big hug. The crowd roared with happiness. I took the lilies from Reita, and he said, "I know we haven't known each other very long, but I want you to come with me to Japan…Would you?" Tears of joy slid down my face. I choked out a faint "yes" and hugged Reita again. One of the staff members set a stool out on the side of the stage and asked me to enjoy the encore. I sat, watching the encore in bliss, holding my lilies and humming along as I watched Reita play masterfully.  
I talked to Reita after the encore. I had to be careful not to step on anyone; the band was lying on the concrete floor trying to keep cool. I looked down at him as he said, "You have some time to prepare for your leave. We have ten shows in the US before we go back to Japan. We bought you a plane ticket in case you say yes. We leave for Japan three weeks from today. One of our staff will come get you and bring you to the airport. We will meet with you there. The airport is in New York City…Are you sure you want to do this?" I knew that my life in Michigan had been a dead-end street before I had met the GazettE, and if I wanted to have a life, this was the path I must take. "Yes," I said with a sure smile, "this is what I want." The band had one more night in the hotel room, then they were off to another state. As the band packed up and walked out to go to the hotel, I grabbed the wallet Kai was leaving behind. In the rental car, Kai cried out, "Where is my wallet!" I giggled and said, "You owe me. You left it on the shelf in the dressing room." I handed him the wallet, and Kai bowed and said, "Thank you very much!"  
Once we reached the hotel room, Uruha did his usual routine of sake drinking. A staff member had given the band some fan letters to read. Reita opened one and began reading it. He turned to me and said, "There are so many fans out there who would marry me in an instant. But I would rather be with you because I know for certain you like me for who I am. You don't know this, but we are very popular in Japan. Sometimes I would worry that girls liked me for my money or status. But you didn't know about any of that. That's why I am with you and not one of those fan-girls."  
He wrapped his arms around me and we had our first kiss. It was slow, passionate, tender, and very loving in nature. Aoi was in the room, but he just looked down at one of his fan letters, pretending that he had no idea we were kissing. We were rudely interrupted by Kai, who had come in to ask Reita if he could borrow one of Reita's shirts. "Ah, gomenasai!" he cried out and scrambled out to the adjoining room, blushing. Reita pulled away and decided to go pick on Kai for having ruined our moment.  
Aoi looked up from the fan letter and began speaking to me. "Reita loves you, but you know that…right? I mean, he never even admits to liking a girl; that's because when he does like a girl, he really loves her. He's not one to mince words, and the fact that he's taking you to Japan means he really wants to be with you. You are one lucky girl."  
I only understood half of it, but that was enough for me to understand the basic gist of what Aoi was telling me. "Yes, I know. But if that is true…it makes me wonder 'Why me? Why am I so important to him? We have only just met, and it's not like I'm that special.'"  
Aoi laughed. "Not that special? To be honest, I had a talk with the other members, and all of us would have been fighting over you if Reita hadn't of claimed you. We all find you attractive in one way or another. You have many redeemable qualities." The way Aoi looked at me made me feel like a piece of meat laid out for a wolf. I sighed. Then, Aoi stood and said to the guys in the other room, "I am going for a walk. I'll be back in a little while." He seemed upset, and he gave me a faint smile just before he walked out the door.  
While I was scratching my head over that awkward moment, I could hear Kai screaming and having a hissy fit in the next room. I went over there and saw Reita was attacking Kai with random poking and tickling. I couldn't help but smile; seeing that made me think of some of the yaoi I would read on slow days back at the bookstore. My peripherals caught Ruki staring at me, his eyes trying to read my reaction to the Reita/Kai tickle fest. I could tell right then that Reita was the one for me, the only one for me…  
Reita drove me home again late that night. He walked me to my door, and without warning, kissed me deeply, passionately, hungrily. I could feel everything that he was feeling, the love, the adoration, the lust, the longing to take me with him for the rest of the tour….he was exposing his deepest thoughts to me, letting me take them all in. I didn't want to leave the warmth and comfort of his embrace, the softness of his skin, the firmness of his muscles. Everything just felt so right. We finally let go and Reita whispered to me, "I will see you at the end of the US leg of the tour." He hugged me delicately, climbed into the rental car, and began his drive back to the hotel.


	3. Chapter 3

The days passed slowly. I spent a lot of my time staring out my bedroom window, listening to the GazettE's "Stacked Rubbish" album. I thought about Reita often; not having him by my side made me feel so lonely. I received emails periodically from my beautiful, and he would tell me as much as he could about the band's performances. I did mediocre jobs on my homework; my professors didn't care because they knew that I was distracted by my upcoming move to Japan. Sir ReadaLot's gave me as many hours as they could to help me save money for my big trip. Now I was just playing the waiting game, wishing every day was the day that I could be whisked away and taken out of the terrible empty space that was my life in Michigan.  
Finally, on a chilly Saturday, I got a knock on the door as I was trying to take a mid afternoon nap. The knock was a quick, precise rapping; I sprang up from my bed in an instant and dashed for my front door. The gentleman was one of the GazettE's staff members; I remembered eating udon with him immediately after the GazettE's concert. His name was Nishikawa san. He was short and of an average build, with a neat suit and thick-rimmed glasses.  
"Good afternoon. You already know the nature of my visit. Are you prepared for departure?" I nodded. I sighed; I had imagined giving my mother a hug before I left, but she was not at home. I brought my bags to the door and Nishikawa and I put them in the trunk of his rental car. It took about seven hours by car to get to New York City. For the entire duration of the drive, Nishikawa san and I were quiet. He could sense my excitement, and he felt that it would be best to keep me from tiring myself out before I even made it to NYC.  
It was nearly midnight by the time we got to the NYC airport and checked our bags in. It was going to be a fourteen hour flight from there to the airport in Tokyo. The flight was even less eventful, and it was hard to sleep on such a turbulent flight. The in-flight meals were also not very appetizing. When we finally touched down in Tokyo, I was too tired to care about anything. I remember loading my bags into a cab, getting out with Nishikawa at a flat in Suginami-ka, and passing out on a couch in the front room…  
I woke up in the evening in a bed in another room of the flat. I jumped up; startled, I wasn't quite sure where how I ended up there at first. I could feel a warm spot on the empty area of the bed next to me; apparently I hadn't been sleeping alone. Shaking my head, I stood and stretched, heading for the flat's living room. I got out there and was immediately tackled by an overly excited Kai. "I missed you so much!" he shouted gleefully. I hugged him and regained my focus. Kai grabbed my hand and dragged me to the balcony door. He let go and shoved me through. I could see a good chunk of Tokyo out the window. A small table sat on the other end with a bouquet of roses on it, and next to the table was Reita.

He looked so stunning in a white leather vest with black leather and white feather accents, and a pair of black strappy Tripp NYC pants. His hair was completely down for once, but looked adorable because it was a golden blonde with a section of brown near the front on the right side of his face. He had on the usual white nose tanga, which made my smile even bigger. He was grinning for once; he didn't care that I had been travelling for twenty four hours and that I hadn't gotten a chance to take a shower yet or put on some prettier clothes even.  
Reita took me into his arms and held me. There were people staring at us from down in the street; we were only on the third story so fan girls could clearly see that Reita was up on the balcony. I didn't care at all; it felt so good just to be where Reita was. After I hugged and kissed him, I decided to take a shower and clean up. I told the GazettE I would meet up with them at Sex Pot Revenge after they finished their show there that night. Nothing of interest happened when I got to Sex Pot Revenge; we ate some ramen backstage and I watched the band do a signing. What disturbed me was what happened when we got home…  
Kai, Uruha, and Ruki had all gone out to the arcade. They said something about meeting Dir en Grey there. I decided to stay home; I had enough adventure today already. Reita was taking a shower and I had just dressed into my pajamas when I heard a knock on the bedroom door. I opened it, and there was Aoi, with an unfamiliar expression on his face. He leaned against the doorjamb, his mouth curling into a mischievous smirk. "So…what are you doing right now, sweetheart? You busy?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing! Aoi knew full well that I was in love with Reita!  
"Well…nothing," I replied, "and I don't plan on doing anything either." I tried my best to sound serious and tough. The last thing I wanted was for Aoi to think he could seduce me. Try as he may, I have a pure heart.  
Aoi took a few steps into the bedroom, gazed at me awkwardly, and said, "I just want to know, just once, what it would feel like to kiss you. I am…so very jealous of Reita-kun. I wish you were mine, to have and to hold…"  
"No," I whimpered softly. I could still hear the shower water running; why was Aoi being so selfish? If he were a real man, he would want me to be happy, and nothing more. And I was definitely happy with my Reita. I backed into the far corner of the bedroom; I was finally feeling nervous about the situation.  
Aoi pursued me to the corner and locked his eyes onto mine. "C'mon…" he pleaded gently as he put his hands on my hips…And that's when I screamed. It was loud, high-pitched; one could have easily thought I was being murdered. I heard the shower water stop instantly through the thin wall of the flat. Reita jumped into the doorway mere seconds later, wearing only a towel around his waist. Reita's muscles were tense and full of adrenaline; his eyes looked prepared to kill whoever was causing me trouble.  
Aoi finally realized what just happened. He took his hands off my hips and backed up a few steps. I was crying and pulling on my belt; I hadn't realized Aoi-kun had already been making short work of it. But it was much too late for Aoi; Reita was infuriated. Reita grabbed Aoi by the shirt collar and threw him up against the wall. "Don't you ever, ever touch her again! If I ever catch you trying to harm my girl again, I will fucking kill you! Do you understand?" Aoi only nodded. Reita punched Aoi square in the jaw, sending him to the ground. Then he grabbed Aoi and threw him in the living room.  
Reita came back into the bedroom. He said he was locking me in here until he got dressed. I understood he was doing this for my own safety. He whispered in my ear that he would knock four times, wait three seconds, then knock once. That is how I would know who was at the door and to let him in. I nodded.  
During those five minutes that I spent alone, I was terrified. Why would Aoi make such advances? I didn't really want to know, but there had to be good reason….or Aoi was just stupid. I curled up into a ball under the covers of Reita's bed. It was so comforting to know he would be around to protect me from perverts.  
Reita knocked on the door, just in the fashion he said he would. I opened the door and he came in wearing a Sex Pistols shirt and some plaid pajama pants. He walked over to the dresser, removed his nose tanga, made sure the door was locked, and laid down in the bed next to me. He appeared to be upset, and he faced away from me. I stroked his back softly and asked him what was wrong, but he didn't say anything. I went to wrap my arms around him, and my hand accidentally slid a bit too low. I found what he was hiding….but why would he want to keep his feelings of desire a secret? Maybe he didn't want me to think he was a psycho pervert, like Aoi.  
I snuggled up closer to Reita and whispered in his ear, "It's all right, Reita-kun. If you love me you shouldn't be ashamed of feeling lust." He turned around and looked me in the eyes. I stroked his cheek and pulled him up to me. As I was kissing him, I stroked the inside of his upper thigh slowly. Reita's eyes closed and he moved up against me. Suddenly, the two of us heard a thud outside the door.  
Alert, Reita jumped out of bed. He looked out the window to the bedroom and saw that Ruki, Kai, and Uruha were home, and they had brought some guests. I made sure to get all of my hair out of my face; Die, Kyo, and Shinya had come over for a late-night visit, and I wanted to look presentable for our guests.


	4. Chapter 4

I gave Reita a hug, and the two of us walked out of Reita's room. Aoi was sitting on the couch in the living room; he had bruises and cuts on his face. He also was holding an ice pack on the back of his head. I wondered what the guys would think of seeing Aoi in this condition. There was no real time to think beyond that because in came the rest of the GazettE and Die, Kyo, and Shinya.  
Ruki and Kyo were laughing; there was some joke passed about their combined heights. But as soon as the guys walked in the door and saw Aoi, the mood changed. Everyone who had just gotten home had a look of shock on their faces. Aoi felt so embarrassed; he simply stood, bowed, and said, "Gomenasai". Uruha pulled out a cigarette and stepped outside, bringing Shinya and Die with him. Kyo stood in the corner of the living room; he had a look of contentment forming on his face.  
Ruki went right over to Reita. "What the hell happened to Aoi?" he asked a bit loudly. When Reita didn't answer, Ruki said it again, "What the HELL happened to Aoi?" Ruki was trying to be tough, but since he is so short I almost laughed as Ruki was staring up into Reita's eyes.  
Reita decided to say something. "I beat the shit out of him." He said it so calmly, like he didn't care that he had done it. I could feel the tension shift from Reita to Aoi. Ruki turned to him next.  
"Why did Reita kick the piss out of you? For Reita to be so casual about it, what the fuck did you do? We are a band; we can't be getting into fights like this!" Ruki was genuinely angry.  
Aoi looked at the floor; his nose began bleeding… "I was making advances on his girl. I…she is just so pretty, and I wanted to kiss her so badly. Just once, to know what it would be like to be loved by her."  
"Bullshit!" Reita cried out. "I watched her refasten her belt. You were just trying to get into her pants. And the way she was screaming there was no way in hell you were just kissing her. You had your hands on her hips as well…you fucking pervert!"  
At this point, Aoi started crying. He kept apologizing too; I think he was afraid that he would get kicked out the band. Kyo walked to Aoi and kneeled down. "It is okay…as long as you don't fuck around with Reita's girl again, got it?" He got Aoi some tissue and helped him dress his wounds.  
Reita said he was tired and went off to bed. I was wide awake now. I watched Ruki stomp off to his room, frustrated as all hell. I went outside and talked with Uruha, Die, and Shinya. As I was chatting, I realized something. "Hey boys, where's Kai?"  
Uruha said casually, "He's down at the Host Club."  
"Ummm…." I replied, "Don't you mean the Hostess Club?"  
"Nope." Uruha snapped smartly.  
"I didn't know that he is like that." I said softly. (I was very confused at this moment.)  
The boys laughed. "No, no no!" Uruha retorted, "His older brother works at the Host Club. Kai just went down to see him."  
I felt retarded! As I was just thinking about going back inside, Die asked, "Well….do you want to go meet him? It will be fun."  
I nodded and told them I would be right back. I went to Reita's room and walked inside. I went up to Reita and kissed him on the forehead. He was still half-awake. "What is it?" He asked softly. I told him where I was going. "Oh," he chuckled, "be careful. Some of the hosts there might really take a liking to you. I am sure Uruha will protect you…if he knows what's best for him. I am sure he doesn't want to end up like Aoi." I kissed him passionately before heading for the door. "Have fun" Reita chimed. He had no idea….  
I had never been to a host club before, so I wasn't one hundred percent sure what to expect. When we walked in, I tried to keep myself hidden behind the boys, but it was to no avail. Some of the younger hosts noticed me immediately. I gulped in fear. There they were, those boys in their suits and makeup with their dangerously stylish jrock haircuts. One of them was really bothersome. He came up close and asked, "What can I do for you today, sweetheart?" I could almost feel his breath against my face.  
"She's not a customer," Shinya said, chewing on some gum as he said it, trying to look badass. "She wouldn't like you anyway; she likes her guys tough, not fluffy."  
"Besides, she's with me tonight," A voice said densely. The group of young hosts backed away a bit, and there stood one man. He was tall, lean, and had a look of wisdom on his face. He was by far the most handsome man in the club, with tan skin, caramel eyes, and jet black hair. His lips curled back in an almost devilish smile. "You must be Reita's girl. I am Yukihiro. Pleased to meet you." He bowed.  
I looked out of the corner of my eye and saw Kai sitting at a nearby booth. "This must be his older brother" I thought. Yukihiro took me by the wrist gently and led me to the booth. I took a seat next to Kai, and Yukihiro sat on the other side of me. Uruha, Shinya, and Die all were seated on the adjacent side of the table. Yukihiro ordered everyone some sake, except for Kai and me, who were served apple juice.  
At first, the conversation was very general, but Yukihiro was more interested in the juicier bits of my life, being a host. "So how's life with you and Reita? You two kids do the bedroom wrestle yet?" He had this glimmer in his eye that was hard to resist. It was like you had to tell him everything.  
"No…not as of yet," I said shyly. I knew it wasn't really his business…but… "Our lives have been busy and complicated." I scratched my head and blushed a little.  
"Let me tell you something important," Yukihiro said lovingly, as if I were his younger sister. "You might want to have some good fun with him before you two decide to get married. That is when it will get complicated, and that is when you will have no time for romance….that's what happened to our parents, right Kai?" Yukihiro looked over to Kai for validation.  
"Yeah," Kai said softly. He looked a little morose at that moment, like he wanted to explain it all to me, but couldn't.  
I told Yukihiro that I needed to excuse myself for a moment. I left the booth and began making my way toward the restroom. I was about halfway there when I felt it; a large hand cusped my rear. I turned around and it was the young host who was making trouble earlier. "What do you want?" I growled.  
"Hmph, nothing much," he smirked. "Just you. How about after you are done talking to those fools over there you come here." He pulled out a small scrap of paper with a hotel name, address, and room number on it. "Tell the receptionist you have a meeting with Tsurai. She'll let you through." I nodded and took the piece of paper and headed for the bathroom. I was glad that was over with, at least for the moment.  
When I returned to the booth, I slapped the piece of paper onto the center of the table and explained my situation to the boys. Yukihiro laughed. "Don't worry about it. Tsurai is always like that. If something comes in and it has legs, he wants to sleep with it. Just ignore him." I relaxed a little. It seemed Yukihiro was a good person. No wonder Kai came by to see him tonight…  
Just then, the owner of the host club came by. "Hey..." he said as he looked at me. What now? "You need a job?" he said with a smile, "'cause I own the hostess club across the street, too, and you sure are a fine-looking young lady…and from the looks of it, a hit with the fellas." I hadn't realized that my sitting with five boys at a table would make me look so promiscuous.

Shinya butt in just then. "Nah, this sweet thing doesn't need a job; she has got it good with our dear friend Reita."  
Die added, "The only way she would ask for a job with you is if they split, and I don't see that happening any time soon."  
Even Yukihiro had to throw in his two cents. "Besides, she is much too classy to work in ANY hostess club."  
The owner nodded, satisfied with their answers. He had never heard an employee talk about a girl that way, and it made him wonder.  
The rest of the evening was uneventful. I hung out with the boys and got home at about three in the morning. By the time I did, I was all worked up having hung out with so much testosterone. But I didn't want to bother my sleeping sweetheart, so I climbed into bed with him and fell asleep. It wasn't until the morning until I realized that there was even more going on that night than I had thought…


	5. Chapter 5

It was early in the morning, and I stumbled out of Reita's room in my pajamas. I headed straight for the coffee maker; there was no way I could function without brewing some. As I was searching for a coffee filter, I heard a cough, and out of Aoi's room shuffled….Kyo? He made a small grunt and pointed at the coffee pot I had started. He wanted some, too.  
As Kyo moved closer to me, I realized why he was so worn. I saw scratches, bruises and other marks all over his chest; his eyes were bloodshot and….he smelled of Aoi's cologne. "Ohayo," I said softly. As soon as the coffee finished brewing, I poured him a cup. He grumbled a thanks and pointed at the pot again. I poured a second cup and handed it to him. He mumbled and disappeared back into Aoi's room. "Well, that sure was weird," I said to myself as I poured Reita and myself some coffee and took it back to his room.  
I set the mugs of coffee down on the small table next to Reita's bed. "Wake up," I purred softly. Reita shifted and looked at me sleepily. "Coffee?" I asked and held a mug out to him.  
He took it immediately and smiled. "Arigatou Gozaimasu," he whimpered, half awake. I watched him sip his slowly, and I started drinking mine. I told him about Kyo and Aoi. Reita nodded, he said that whenever Aoi is really upset or stressed about something Kyo tries to "de-stress" him in such a fashion. Kyo lets Aoi claw, bite, and demolish him. I asked why this was so. "Well," Reita said, "To be honest, the two really love eachother. The only reason they aren't really a pair is because they are afraid that if they get together, the fangirls may not take to it well and album sales will decline. Plus, what would Aoi's mother think? She would never talk to him again. She keeps pushing him to marry a girl as is. She wants grandchildren."  
I snuggled with Reita in his bed as long as I could before he and the rest of the GazettE had to get ready for a photo shoot. Kyo left just before the GazettE did. Reita kissed me and said "Aishiteru" before heading out the door. For the next few hours, I had the entire flat to myself.  
Reita had told me to tape an episode of Initial D that was playing this afternoon on cable TV. Initial D is Reita's favorite comic series. There was a VHS tape sitting on the table in the living room. "This must be the tape Reita wants me to use," I thought to myself. I popped it in to be sure there was nothing important on it. I pushed play.  
My eyes widened. I watched as Aoi was adjusting the camera on a tripod. He was giggling and smiling a mile wide, despite the fact that a black bruise was sitting on his left eye and his cuts were still a little bloody. As soon as he had the cam quarter as he wanted it, he backed up a bit. Kyo was laying on Aoi's bed, looking about nonchalantly. Aoi winked at the camera, turned to face Kyo, and began wiggling his hips erotically while stripping off his clothes….one item at a time. Kyo feigned disinterest as he stared at Aoi blankly. Then, Aoi smiled and began kissing Kyo on the cheek, then the neck. He started gently, but he later began biting Kyo's neck. This was what Kyo actually enjoyed; as Aoi bit him roughly Kyo's eyes rolled back a bit. Aoi clawed at Kyo's back and started telling him what he wanted. I really wanted to stop watching, but my eyes just couldn't look away. Kyo flipped Aoi over and Kyo began undoing his pants…He grabbed Aoi's hips and….I watched, mortified. After Kyo finished, they switched. Aoi was much less loving with Kyo during the event. And afterwards, Aoi smacked Kyo several times in several places. They cleaned eachother up and went to bed, snuggling like a pair of kittens.  
I rewound and ejected the tape. I hoped that when Aoi had been lusting over me yesterday that if he had succeeded, he wouldn't take a lady quite so roughly. I found a blank VHS and popped it in and set it to record Initial D. I took the time to cook an early supper for the boys made of tempura, sushi, and white rice. I waited at the kitchen table for their return. I dozed off a bit…  
The next thing I remember was that I felt Reita's muscular arms around me and heard the chatter of Reita's band mates. Kai was bouncing all over the place and exclaiming about how hungry he was. I look over at Aoi. Despite the best makeup Japan has to offer, the bruise on his face was still slightly visible. He looked like he was aching all over. I smiled and cuddled Reita's arm. The band ate like a herd of hippos; I picked at my food a little. After watching that tape earlier, food was the last thing on my mind… After dinner, Reita wanted to wind down. He went to his room and put on some music. I followed him to the bed. I smiled and, sitting next to him, I began rubbing his thigh gently.  
Reita grinned. At first he looked content, but then, he let out a sigh and laid back on the bed. "Something else is on your mind, isn't there?" He said gently. He didn't even open his eyes.  
I smirked. "Yeah. While you guys were gone, I was looking for the VHS you wanted me to tape Initial D on…but I guess you didn't set it out. I had to find a tape."  
"That isn't the part that is bothering you though, is it?" Reita looked at me in wonder.  
"No, there was a VHS on that table…but it was already taped on. It was of Aoi and Kyo's time together last night…" That was the only way I could put it.  
Reita sat up. "Well, was it any good to watch?"  
"NO!" I shouted. I grabbed a pillow and whacked Reita with it playfully.  
Reita grabbed another pillow and hit me back. I giggled and got him right across the face. The onslaught went on for a few more minutes. However, I got him in the chest, and the spaghetti strap on my pajamas slid a bit. Reita noticed, threw the pillow aside, and dove at me. I laughed and as he pinned me down and kissed my neck. We had left the door open, and Kai came up. "Hey so you guys wanna…." He stopped and stared. Reita looked up and just cracked up. I blushed.  
"Sorry Kai," I said quietly. Reita and I sat up. "What did you wanna ask us?"  
Kai brightened up a bit. "I was just wondering if you wanted to watch this movie with me. It is called Detective Office 5" –  
"With Hiroki Narimiya in it?" I shouted. "I have been wanting to see that movie for…ever!" I took Reita's hand and we moved with Kai to the living room. Reita and I snuggled together on the couch. Reita put an arm around Kai's shoulder so he didn't feel left out, and we watched the movie.  
Most of the way through the movie, there was a knock on the door, and Kyo had returned for the second night in a row. There were dark circles under his eyes and he looked a bit worried. He went straight to Aoi's room without a word to any of us. Aoi came out a moment later to get something to drink. I got up and approached him. He too looked really upset. "Hey Aoi, are you alright?" I asked.  
When he didn't respond, I gave him a hug. Aoi's eyes enlarged in disbelief; I guess he wasn't expecting that. "Thanks," he muttered in a quiet voice, got his drink, and went back to the room.  
"I wonder what's up with him…" I said more to myself than to anyone in particular. I grabbed Reita by the wrist and dragged him back to his room. Kai had fallen asleep on the couch anyway.  
I pulled Reita's shirt off of him and we began kissing lovingly. He wrapped an arm around my waist and closed his eyes. Grinning, I lead him to the bed and threw myself onto it.  
"Let's finish what we started, dear…."


	6. Chapter 6

Reita grinned and walked toward me slowly. He had a mischievous look in his eyes; a look that I had never seen before. Reita leaned forward and crawled onto the bed, prowling on his hands and knees until his face was right above mine. I inhaled deeply, trying to mentally prepare myself. He brought his lips to mine and I accepted his tongue into my mouth willingly. I was enjoying the kissing, but I flinched when I felt Reita's hand slide under my shirt cautiously. In response, I kissed him more deeply and let my hand rub his back sweetly.  
I could tell that Reita was beginning to feel more lustful; he stopped kissing me to pull my shirt and bra off. He paused for a moment and took in the sight of my breasts and he smiled before he reached out and ran his hands over them gently. I let out a small sound in anticipation for what he might do, and Reita took it as a signal. He pulled me in close and covered my chest in small kisses, his lips feeling to me like moist rose petals against my skin. He soon took to suckling on my nipples gently. As he did so, he looked up to me for a response. I had my eyes closed and was moaning softly. Reita liked the reaction, and so he decided after a moment to move on.  
He reached up and kissed my neck a few times before moving down to my stomach. After a few kisses there, Reita reached for the button on my jeans. As he was unfastening my pants, he looked up to me and asked, "Are you sure you want to do this?"  
I looked down at him and smiled. "Why of course…" I knew our love-making would be special. It was apparent to me that if he was willing to wait and was asking if I wanted to go through with this then…he really does love me. And if he does, then there is no shame in us having sex.  
Reita removed my pants and underwear in one fluid motion. Taking my legs with care, he pulled them apart as if my body were something sacred. He let one of his hands travel up my thigh until he had reached my ladyhood. Reita looked a bit nervous as he quietly rubbed me in small, lazy circles with his thumb. I moaned at this and so he decided to enter me with two fingers as he continued rubbing me. He began with slow gentle thrusts until he became more comfortable. He probably would have gone on longer had I not wrapped my hand around his wrist, stopping him.  
He watched in wonder as I sat up and all but tore Reita's pants and boxer shorts right off him. Reita was somewhat hard, and so I began working on him in long strokes with my hand. As soon as he was where I wanted him to be, I moistened my lips with my tongue, licked the length of him teasingly, and took him into my mouth.  
I heard Reita groan, and out of the corner for my eye I could see his hand clench up into a gentle fist. I was determined to please, and so I worked faster and used my teeth a little. When he was beginning to get close, I made a few small moaning noises as I pulled him in further and deep-throated. Reita cried out as he came, filling my mouth with his seed. As he finished, I pulled off calmly and swallowed. I immediately laid back on the bed and closed my eyes.  
Reita crawled up next to me. "Anything I can do for you?" he asked.  
I felt really tired. "No, not right now. But maybe after I take a nap…" Reita might have said something after that, but I didn't hear it because I fell into a heavy sleep and didn't wake for hours.  
When I did wake, I found that it was morning and there was a heavy blanket on me. Also, Reita wasn't in bed next to me. I threw on a robe and went out to the living room. It was empty as well. There was a small paper on the kitchen counter telling me to turn on the TV and watch channel 5 at 10 am. I looked at the clock. It was 9:56.  
I grabbed the remote and turned to the channel. At first the weather forecaster was on, but the news turned off and another program began. I was a bit confused. The program was …Majide! I wasn't sure what was going on, until they brought out the teams. The first team out was the band Ayabie, and the second was the GazettE. When the camera panned the audience, one could see all of the psycho fangirls screaming and flailing like caged monkeys.  
I watched the program, giggling as I watched both bands embarrass themselves. Although the events they competed in weren't all that strange, they had put Ayabie in dog suits and the GazettE in cat suits. The only one who didn't look all that stupid in his costume was Kai. In fact, Kai was racking in most of the points for the GazettE, but it wasn't enough to keep Aoi (from Ayabie) and Takehito from scoring the winning points. I felt kinda bad because the GazettE did get laughed at, and as the men in suits grabbed the band and dragged them out of the studio, the audience shouted, "Majide!".  
As soon as the show was over, I went to the bathroom and began taking a shower. I tried to remember how far Toho studios was from the flat…it wasn't that far. The band would most likely be home in twenty minutes if they came straight home from the filming on foot. However, I had only been in the shower for a couple minutes when I heard the band coming through the front door.  
I could hear some talking, and then Kai shouted, "Oh man! Why is she in the shower? I have to pee!" I didn't hear who replied or what they said, but Kai then yelled, "But I don't wanna! What if people see me!" Someone must've suggested Kai go outside. I could hear a mumbling of voices, and the next thing I know there is a knock on the bathroom door. "I'm so sorry but I REALLY have to pee! Can I come in?"

I made sure I was well hid behind the curtain, and replied. "Go ahead, Kai. It's alright." I heard Kai come in and I listened as he lifted the toilet seat. I figured if talking made him more comfortable, he would say something, but he didn't. While he was busy trying to pee, I stealthily tried to sneak a peek. I was curious; who wouldn't be? I was successful, and I smiled behind the curtain as I could hear that Kai was finally beginning to urinate. I took note that I had made a good choice by being with Reita…  
Not long after my shower, I decided to go out for a bit and just take a stroll. It seemed to me that the band was always out and about, but I didn't go nearly as many places. I began to wonder if maybe I should get a part-time job, just for something to do. I told everyone I needed alone time to go think, and they simply said to be home before sundown or they'd think I were abducted.  
As I made my way down the sidewalk to one of the main roads, I bumped into someone I wasn't expecting to meet. Someone I didn't want to meet. It was Satoru, dressed to the nines and waltzing along casually, his hands tucked into his pockets as he whistled a song from an old American movie. He was wearing a black pinstripe suit with dark sunglasses. He had on red gloves, a red handkerchief, and a red tie to match. Satoru noticed me right away.  
"Hey darling. You must have been too tired to come see me the other night." He bowed and took my hand gracefully, kissing it. He stopped and inhaled through his nose. "Ah, you smell of vanilla…how sweet." In one fluid motion, Satoru picked me up.  
"Um…excuse me, but what are you doing? I was just going for a walk by myself and"-  
"Shh…I have something to show you real quick; it will only take a moment." Satoru smiled at me reassuringly and I gave in. I supposed if whatever he wanted to show me would only take a moment, it wouldn't hurt anything.  
Satoru carried me to a giant building and inside; it looked like an expensive hotel. I began to worry, but shrugged it off. He was Yukihiro's co-worker, so I figured I was pretty safe. He brought me to his hotel room and before I could even ask what he wanted to show me, Satoru jabbed me with a needle and I was soon unconscious. When I woke up and found that I was chained to the bed naked, I wondered what the hell I'd gotten myself into. Satoru was gone; at least he hadn't done anything to me yet. At least the band would start looking for me by sundown…


	7. Chapter 7

[Special Perspective change for this chapter; Kai]  
I was sitting at the table in the flat, a worried look spread over my face. My thoughts drifted back and forth. "I can't believe she hasn't returned; where do you think she is?"  
Reita was at the opposite side of the table, his face buried in his folded arms. He had already called Dir en Grey and Miyavi over to help search; now we just had to split into search parties and look. We agreed that if she hadn't been found in a few hours, we would bring in Alice Nine and call the police. Reita sat up and dialed her cell phone again. Yet again, she didn't pick up. Reita was beginning to look a mess already; I reached in my pocket and offered him a piece of my Lychee flavored gum, but he refused.  
Ruki stood in the corner of the room looking pissed off. I could tell by his expression that he was still blaming Aoi for all this, although it had been days since Aoi had made advances on Reita's girl. In fact, Ruki's glaring upset Aoi so much that he, Kyo, Shinya, and Uruha had left already to search Shinjuku-ku. My brother was telling everyone at the host club to look out for her as well. Miyavi turned to me and Kaoru, took a lick of his giant rainbow-colored lollipop, and said, "Let's check Harujuku-ku, ne?"  
I nodded and stood. Turning to Reita, I told him that he didn't have to help search until he gathered his composure. The last thing we needed was a spazzing rock star in the middle of Tokyo. As we headed to the door, it wouldn't be until a bit later that I would realize that I had forgotten my wallet at home…  
Miyavi was skipping up and down the streets, looking frantically past thousands of faces, hunting for our girl. He would poke his head into businesses, and if they were high-traffic places, he would ask to post a missing flyer. Kaoru and I followed close behind, giving everything a second look, making sure he didn't miss her. God, he has so much energy!  
Miyavi was bopping along looking and he bumped square into Satoru, my brother's flirtatious co-worker. "Oh," Satoru winced, "be careful where you step…What brings you out here so late anyway? Coming to the host club?"  
Jamming his hand into his pocket and pulling out a photograph, Miyavi handed Satoru a picture. "She's missing. Have you seen her today?" Miyavi's eyebrows furrowed a bit; he seemed to be thinking about something.  
Satoru's lips curled. "Why yes, I saw her earlier. She was with Maya. They seemed pretty playful…like they might be involved. They were heading for Maya's apartment."

Miyavi's lollipop fell to the ground. "She, they….no…really?" Miyavi was visibly upset. "Thanks, Satoru," he said quickly, and grabbing me and Kaoru by the wrist, Miyavi began running down the road immediately. It was hard for me to keep up; Miyavi's legs were so long and graceful…and elegant. We ran for ten minutes straight and stopped in front of Maya's apartment, gasping for breath.  
With one brisk jab, Miyavi pushed the doorbell on the front of the apartment complex, and there was a buzz. We opened the door and ran up to the third flight, stopping in front of Maya's door. Miyavi began screaming randomly and pounding on his door. Maya answered with a confused look on his face. "What do you guys want? You know it's getting late, ne?"  
Kaoru went, "uhhh…" but Miyavi jumped in, shouting, "Can we have her back now? Reita's been worried about her all day!" Maya gave Miyavi a 'wtf' look and opened the door the rest of the way.  
"I have no idea what you guys are talking about. Wait…Reita has a girl?" Maya motioned for the guys to come in. "Tell me what the hell's going on!" Maya took a seat on his couch and threw his top hat across the room.  
I explained everything as best as I could, ignoring the random interruptions by Miyavi. Once I finished, before Maya could say anything, I realized why Satoru had tipped me off. "It was a distraction," I mumbled, "Satoru has her!"  
Jumping back to my feet, I yelled, "Thanks Maya!" and ran out the apartment, Miyavi and Kaoru following close behind. Once outside, I asked the others if they knew where Satoru would be. When they shook their heads, I took off towards the host club. Yukihiro would have to know… I reached the host club, sweating and looking like hell at this point. I ran past the owner and most of the hosts. "Yukihiro!" I waved and ran up to him, not caring that he was having a drink with a client. "Reita's girl disappeared earlier today, and I think Satoru has something to do with it. Is he working right now, and if not, where is he?"  
Yukihiro's eyes darted up to mine. "What do you mean? Satoru left town yesterday for a vacation in Kyoto. He said he was going to visit some family and see some shrines, maybe see a Kabuki dr"-  
"NO HE DIDN'T! HE'S HERE RIGHT NOW! I SAW HIM ABOUT FORTY FIVE MINUTES AGO!" The host club fell silent and everyone was looking at me.

My older brother cleared his throat. "But he booked a hotel room at the Hilton…are you saying he has her at the Hilton right here in town?" Yukihiro gave his client a bunch of money. "I'm sorry; I have to go. We'll finish this another day, I promise." He stood and joined us. Yukihiro brushed off his jacket and joined us outside. Feeling even more rushed, we ran for the Hilton.  
"Hey, Kai," Kaoru yelled. "I think we should call Reita and the other search parties so they get and update, ne?" I instantly shoved my hand in my pocket as I continued moving. "Shit!" I yowled. "I left my cell phone at home…" Yukihiro pulled out his phone and handed it to me. I shook my head. "I don't have all of their numbers memorized; they're programmed into my phone!" We forgot all about the phone thing as we made it into the Hilton's lobby.  
Walking to the service desk, we asked where Satoru "Tsurai" Okabe might be staying. The lady said a man under Tsurai Okabe was staying in room 304. We nodded and took off again. Up three flights of stairs and we found the door. We knocked gently and Kaoru said in his best lady voice, "Room Service."  
We could hear rustling around, some clinks of metal. After almost two minutes, Satoru opened the door and welcomed us in. Cautiously, we brushed past the wide-eyed mine in his fancy suit. Satoru tried to flee, but Miyavi chased after him and bit his shoulder like a trained attack dog would. While Satoru was wincing in pain, Yukihiro punched him with a right hook to the jaw which sent him spiraling to the ground.  
We searched the hotel room and found Reita's girl curled up, handcuffed, and badly wounded in the bathtub. She looked barely conscious, so we called for an ambulance. Yukihiro and Kaoru decided to go back to the flat and report that our girl had been found and guide the others to the hospital. Miyavi and I waited and when the ambulance arrived they took Reita's girl. By this time, Satoru was wiggling in the hallway still where Yukihiro had decked him, and when the cops picked Satoru up and dragged him off, I felt relieved.  
Later, in the hospital's waiting room, I was sitting quietly reflecting over everything that had happened in the past few hours. Miyavi approached me, scratching the back of his head nervously. He forced a nervous smile and produced a rainbow-colored lollipop. "This is for you," he said shyly. I took the lollipop and was prepared to thank him, but he disappeared. Little did I know that I would be seeing a lot more of Miyavi in the near future…


	8. Chapter 8

I was being pushed out of the hospital in a wheelchair by a nurse. I had been staying in a room there for a week after Satoru's attack on me. Reita was asking the nurse questions, being sure he remembered all of the rules about the medications and burn ointment. The last several days had been a blur, but when Reita got me home, he wanted to know exactly what Satoru had done to me.  
During the car ride home, I didn't say much of anything. Reita was holding my hand tightly and telling me that he would take care of me, that nothing like this would happen to me ever again. Reita helped me walk into the flat and get comfortable once we reached home. It had been seven days too many since I had been to the flat.  
I was lying on the couch, my head propped up on a small pile of pillows. The whole band was waiting on me hand and foot, but when Reita said he wanted to talk to me privately, the guys didn't hesitate to leave. I looked at Reita's softened eyes and began:  
"Satoru brought me to his hotel room, jabbed me with a needle, and while I was unconscious, he stripped me naked and chained me to the hotel bed. When I woke up, he was gone and hadn't done anything to me yet. I thought it strange personally…but then he returned to the room with a briefcase full of drugs, blades, needles, there was a lighter and candles, too…  
'He opened the briefcase slowly. I went to struggle, to scream, but the drugs he gave me left me paralyzed. I couldn't do anything. It was a weird feeling, telling myself to move, but I didn't have the ability. I remember Satoru lit the candles first and covered small areas of my body with hot wax. When that didn't satisfy him, he put a pan on a range burner and once it was hot he pushed it against the skin on my stomach. The pain…was…terrible. But I couldn't react to it."  
Reita brushed some hair out of my face. I could see tears forming in his eyes. I could see it, my narration of the events was ripping him to shreds. He probably felt that he had failed to protect me. But to me, that was not the case. I was just foolish… Reita nodded, the gesture telling me to continue.  
"He pulled the pan away and he was smiling…pure joy smoothing over his wicked features. He injected me again, overdosing me on the paralyzing medication…making me dizzy and nauseous. He pulled out blades and flirted with the blade himself, running his tongue over the sharp edge. He let the tip brush his palm and he began singing…actually, his voice was like that of an angel when he sang…such wasted talent…  
'He took the blade now, grinning fully, and he dug it into the flesh on my arm, dragging it under my skin. He purred as he pulled the blade out, the cut had to be at least an inch deep and six inches long. He repeated this on the side of my waist, the inside of my thigh. The burning from the cuts, his cackle, the tormenting pain searing through my senses…oh god…it was awful. A tear worked its way down my cheek; I couldn't blink or brush it away…he reached up and did it for me before casting the knife to the floor…"  
Reita ran a hand through my hair and kissed me tenderly on the cheek. "You don't have to continue if you don't want to. Telling me is obviously upsetting you, dear." I put my index finger against his lips. I wanted him to know what had happened…  
"Satoru…after he threw the knife…he stripped himself of his garments. He was standing over me, and since I was paralyzed, I couldn't look away. I wanted to gag, but my stomach muscles wouldn't contract…He kissed me, not caring that I wouldn't have kissed back even if I had the ability to. He ran his hands over my chest, stopping to bite my nipple much too hard. He giggled and licked my stomach. I watched in absolute terror.  
'He worked his way slowly to my thighs, licking the blood off my cuts. He growled like some untamed beast, and without warning, pounced on me, forcing himself inside. There I was…I couldn't fight him off. There was no expression on my face; I couldn't grimace in pain or cry out in sorrow. I couldn't kick or punch…scream or cry. He began pounding…I wasn't ready to accommodate him….so it hurt like a bitch…"  
A flood of tears streamed down my face. Reita brought me some tissue. "He was working so hard, his putrid body against mine. I wanted to die. That's when we heard a knock on the door. He dressed quickly, unchained me from the bed, and threw me in the bathtub. That's when my heroes stormed in…"  
Reita brought me a glass of water and my pain medication. The doctors had suggested I see a counselor for a short time after the event, but I told them that I can tell Reita anything. I took the meds and scooted over. Reita took a seat on the couch. I laid my head on his lap, and I fell asleep as he cuddled me softly, trying his best not to agitate my wounds.  
Kai came home after a little while and it woke me up. I rubbed my eyes and sat up slowly. "What's up?" I asked with a smirk. Kai looked different; there was something about his expression that was very serene.  
Kai reached into his pocket and pulled out a rainbow-colored lollipop. It was the third one he had gotten so far. It made me feel good to know that things were going well with Kai; even though they hadn't kissed yet (Kai tells me everything) Kai was definitely falling for him. Whenever he talked about Miyavi he blushed and his voice got so soft.  
Kai had a vase in his room where he put the lollipops as if they were flowers. He also had a mix CD with a bunch of lovey-dovey J-Pop songs on it that he had been playing almost nonstop this week. Kai was definitely crushing on MYV; I just hoped Miyavi's feelings were as strong.  
Miyavi has always been good friends with Maya, so if anyone knew how Miyavi felt towards Kai, it would be Maya. I grabbed the phone and walked past my sleeping darling, sneaking off to our room. I dialed Maya and hoped that he wasn't busy hanging out with his brother Saga or his best friend Aiji. Maya answered the phone after a couple of rings.  
"Yo," Maya answered with a relaxed tone. He was making dinner. I told him about the way Kai had been acting. "Ohhh," Maya purred, "Miyavi got a kitten last night and named him Kai. It's a cute black kitten with white paws. I think Miyavi is just as crazy for Kai…Saga's not having the same luck. It seems Uruha really likes him, but Saga isn't into him. Saga never tells me who he likes, just who he isn't feeling fuzzy for.." I could hear Maya playing with a Chupo pop, rolling it from one side of his mouth to the next.  
"In fact…Uruha has been acting a little strange. He seems to know everything about Saga. It kinda creeps us both out. He keeps coming to visit, too, when we don't even invite him over." I could hear Maya slicing vegetables as he talked. I was glad to know that's where Uruha had been disappearing to. I ended my phone conversation and walked out to grab a drink.  
The door to the flat flew open. Aoi ran through the flat and to his room, giggling playfully as he was being chased down by Kyo. Aoi's door slammed shut and it woke Reita up. I was glad to see that love was in the air again.  
Reita stood and stretched. His eyes were so warm and caring as he took my hand gently. "What do you say we go out for a milkshake?"  
I nodded. "Let's…that way Aoi and Kyo can have the flat to themselves. But we'd have to bring Kai along. Is that alright?"  
Reita grinned. "Sure…as long as he doesn't babble on about Miyavi all night."  
It was so good to be home again…


	9. Chapter 9

"Uh-huh," Reita said with a nod, pretending to listen. We were sitting at a local restaurant enjoying our milkshakes…well, trying to. We had brought Kai along and his babbling was driving both Reita and I towards insanity.  
"…And then, Meevers picked me up and called me a silly boy for tripping and falling on my face! Isn't he so sweet? And then he asked if I wanted to see a movie and maybe go out for some din-dins…" Did Kai have any idea how much he was torturing us?  
Luckily for us, Kai's phone rang. "Oooh, I'll bet it's my Meevie kun right now!" He yanked his phone out of his pocket and answered excitedly. After a minute of squeals and 'okies!', Kai stood and ran out of the restaurant like a lunatic.  
Unbeknownst to me, on the other side of town, something else of interest was taking place. Uruha had drunk way too much sake for his own good, and was making his way down Takashita Street. He stopped his staggering and approached Tora and Hiroto, whom of which were trying to pick up some ladies. Unfortunately, their attempts were resulting in failure as Uruha approached them.  
"Hey Pon, what's up?" Uruha managed lazily and leaned in a bit too close for comfort. "You bringin' home anything nice lately?" Uruha could certainly think of someone nice to bring home…Saga. He smiled and gave his friend a playful sock in the arm.  
Hiroto sighed and shook his head. "Uru kun, you really need to do something about your sake drinking problem; it's gonna get you in a lot of trouble someday."  
Tora nodded, adding, "If you wanna get in trouble and slosh around town like a drunken village idiot, go hang out with Shou." With that, the two men left Uruha at the corner.  
Uruha snorted. "Party poopers. Maybe I should go find Saga; he could be lots of fun." Uruha stumbled on, pulling on the bottom of his mini-shorts. The air was beginning to get a bit chilly, and Uruha was wearing much too skimpy an outfit for the weather. Goosebumps were beginning to form on his arms and legs. "I hope Maya and Saga are home."  
"I'm going for the triple kill!" Aiji was shouting as he was playing a round of Halo 3 with Maya, Saga, and Shinya. Ruki was in the kitchen preparing some drinks. Although most people can't tell by looking, Ruki and Shinya are brothers. And even stranger yet, Maya and Saga are their cousins. Ruki was trying to distract himself; Atsushi and Hyde were expected over later that evening, and the two siblings always quarreled. Ruki was usually embarrassed of his father; Atsushi may have been the older brother, but he sure didn't act like it.  
Uruha was having a slow bumble up the front steps; he didn't remember them being quite so hard to navigate. He stood in front of the door, his usually long and graceful-looking legs were leaning against each other at the knees, leaving Uruha pigeon-toed and slouching forward in a drunken stance. Tossing his now empty bottle of sake against the wall next to the door, Uruha pounded on the door absent-mindedly and without rhythm. "Hello, is anyone home?" Without giving enough time for anyone to actually answer, he slurred, "Come on, sweetie cakes, open up! Saga…"  
Hyde and Atsushi happened to be coming up to the steps and saw Uruha. Although they had been bickering over who was more handsome, they stopped in their tracks and stared for a moment. "Oh, god, look at how drunk that boy is…and he's trying to court Saga? That has failure written all over it."  
Hyde eyed Atsushi playfully, "Well, his epic fail will make for my total win. I'll bet ¥100,000 I can get him so drunk I'll have him in bed with me by midnight. Shake on it?" Hyde held out his hand for Atsushi, and they shook.  
Atsushi and Hyde hid in the shadows for a moment. They watched an irritable Ruki answer the door and reluctantly let Uruha in. They waited for ten minutes before knocking on the door themselves; the last thing they wanted their kids to know about was the bet. This time Saga opened the door and let them in as he was passing through with a disgusted look on his face. "See?" Atsushi said with a smirk, "Total failure."  
The two gentleman entered Maya's apartment and Atsushi sat down in the living room, asking if he could play starting next round. Hyde went to the kitchen and found some vodka and sake. Taking it eagerly, he headed to the bedrooms and poked his head through each door. On Saga's bed he found Uruha. Hyde realized he had better hurry for it was already nearing ten.  
Uruha was laying face up on the bed, fully clothed, and his legs were spread wide as he was murmuring, "Take me, Saga. Take me." This sight almost made Hyde laugh, but he had too much work to do to relish in the moment much.  
Hyde stood next to the bed. Holding the bottle of sake in his hand, Hyde looked down at the glazed Uruha and said, "Hello, I'm Saga's daddy. You can call me Hyde. Want some sake?" Hyde gave Uruha the most seductive glare he could muster up.  
Uruha instinctively reached for the sake. He sat up, although a bit wobbly, and opened the bottle. Hyde took a seat on the edge of the bed and reached his hand out to stroke Uruha's thigh as he drank. Uruha was so focused on drinking that it took him a moment to notice that Hyde had leaned down and had begun kissing Uruha's bare thigh.  
Uruha stopped drinking for a moment. "Wha?" he questioned quizzically before continuing with the drink. Uruha wasn't sure if Hyde was really there or not, but the sake certainly wasn't imaginary.  
After a minute Hyde realized that the alcohol was distracting Uruha from his advances. He waited a whole five minutes before Uruha finished the bottle and threw it on the floor. Hyde picked up the empty sake bottle and set it on the dresser before shutting the bedroom door. Moving back to the bed, Hyde snuggled up close to Uruha. "Those are some cute purple mini-shorts you have on…May I see what's in them?"  
"Ummm….oh! I get it. You wanna see…um, sure!" Uruha didn't even realize what Hyde was doing. He thought that all Hyde really wanted was just to see….Uruha unzipped his shorts and pulled them slowly down his long, slender legs.  
Hyde grinned and looked Uruha square in the eyes. "I knew you'd be beautiful." Hyde took the back of Uruha's head and kissed him gently. Unfastening his designer jeans, Hyde forced Uruha to lay back and he grinded his bare hips against Uruha's.  
At this point, Uruha was very confused. "But you're not Saga," he winced quietly. Uruha had always tried to stay away from trouble like this; he remained a virgin so far because Saga was the only man he wanted to share his body with.  
"You're going to make me do this the hard way, aren't you?" Hyde asked rhetorically with a sigh as he pulled out some duct tape. Hyde carefully taped Uruha's mouth shut, then moved down and taped Uruha's wrists behind his back and his ankles together. Hyde craftily shoved Uruha so that he landed on his chest and knees. "Where do you suppose Saga keeps the lube?" Hyde asked himself as he dug through his son's dresser. He found the small bottle and unfastened the cap. Just as he was thinking through his next move, the bedroom door opened.  
"I think you won the bet, Hyde," Atsushi said dryly as he evaluated the moment. "And I don't think taping a drunk man's mouth shut is a good idea. You want him to choke to death on his own vomit?" Atsushi turned and left, letting the bedroom door hang wide open.  
"I never get to have any fun." Hyde growled as he looked first at Uruha's raised rump and then at his own erection. "Maybe next time, dear," he said quietly as he unfastened the duct tape from Uruha's body.  
As soon as Uruha was free, he put his shorts back on and stumbled out to the living room where he could be safe and with others. Hyde knew if Uruha liked Saga as much as he thought, Hyde would definitely have another chance at the boy in the future.


	10. Chapter 10

The days were growing warmer; late spring was almost amongst us. It was a sad fact that the GazettE would have to do a tour through Japan and parts of Europe this season, but there was nothing I could do to stop it. As it got closer to tour time, Kai called Miyavi every day and every night before bed. They talked and met up as often as they could.  
During this time, Reita talked less and wanted to do very little. He cuddled with me most days, a sure sign that he was going to miss having me to hold during their tour. Also, Kyo was over to see Aoi every day and Uruha sulked about more than usual…I didn't know why he was so depressed at the time. But the one fact that bothered me the most was that poor Ruki spent most of his time alone in his room. During one stretch I hadn't seen him for three whole days.  
Ruki had good reasons to shut himself in his room. His father Atsushi was a bit over the top, he didn't have a significant other to dote over, and he felt overall like a side note stuffed in the jacket of a great novel. Ruki felt unnecessary.  
I hadn't seen Ruki all morning on one particular day when I remembered that it was third anniversary of his mother's passing. She had died suddenly in a car accident, something no one had been expecting. Ruki, as his band mates tell me, was a lot friendlier and bouncier before his mother's passing…He had taken a bouquet of white lilies to her grave.  
While Ruki was off grieving, I spent my time tending to Uruha's issue. He was pacing about the flat as if he were trying to decide something important. Uruha was so transfixed on this issue, so I asked him what it was that was driving him to madness.  
Tilting his head ever so slightly, Uruha darted his eyes to avoid looking into mine. "Oh, I went and saw Saga the other night. It didn't go so well. And his dad wants me in all kinds of weird ways. It was awful and I don't know what to do."  
"Well, don't do anything. Don't visit Saga anymore…that's all I can say. Your feelings are feelings, but you aren't responding to them so well. It would be best to take flight on this one." I looked up at Uruha, biting my lip in thought.  
Of course Uruha wasn't prepared to follow my advice. He left the flat shortly after. It seemed that life at the flat was getting odd. Ruki returned in the evening just before dinner time. His eyes looked empty and colorless as he bypassed the dinner table and went straight for his room. I wasn't about to have the GazettE's lead die of starvation, so I brought dinner to him on a tray. Setting it on the dresser next to his bed, I hoped he would at least take a few bites after I left.

That night, I mentioned my concerns to Reita. He let out a long, exasperating sigh. "Ruki is not the type to let you know what he's really thinking, but this is the most withdrawn I have ever seen him. If it continues much longer, we will have to intervene." Reita laid back onto our bed. "I hear him up and about all hours of the night; he's not sleeping well either."  
Uruha returned home after midnight. When I asked where he went, he said he wanted to go sulk someplace else. I wasn't sure how to feel about that, so I sat him down on the couch for a chat. "You know, you're not allowed to be depressed. And if you stay upset about this, it could ruin the entire tour season for you."  
He smiled but it turned to a pout. "I think that more than that will be ruined…but I just don't know…I just feel like if I can't be with him then I don't want to be with anyone else."  
"Well, if you want to romance Saga, you have to do it the right way. You can't just throw yourself in front of him and expect him to take to you. You do get a bit too cheery when you are around him, and sake drinking isn't the best idea either." I gave Uruha the perfect plan…  
In the morning I was still very worried about Ruki, but there was a more pressing matter to tend to at the flat. Miyavi had snuck into the flat after I had gone to bed, and had managed to use all of our eggs to make Kai pancakes a few hours ago. How was I supposed to make the rest of the band (and Kyo) breakfast?  
Reita went with me to the grocery store, dragging the homebody Ruki with us. Ruki was growling and mumbling to himself as we were heading down the main aisle, but he disappeared before we made it to the eggs and dairy section. Someone had caught his eye.  
There was a young man looking through the liquor aisle. He was bent forward, gawking at the whiskey and rum. He had finely layered hair that was dyed a golden color, but his dark Japanese roots showed through. His eyes were smoldering black, but the eyeliner he had on made his eyes appear soft and round. His outfit was gold, black, and ruffled; the young man had fine taste. Ruki approached him cautiously.  
"Rum…huh? My favorite is the butterscotch." Ruki smiled lightly and tried not to seem too interested in the man. Ruki took a step back and examined a bottle of vodka with a small smirk resting on his lips.  
This young man knew better. Ruki was obviously finding his appearance aesthetically pleasing. "My name's Shou. Wanna drink some rum with me tonight? I don't have much else to do today." Ruki and Shou exchanged business cards the proper way.  
Ruki caught up with us at the front counter. I didn't bother to ask what happened; I was glad enough when I realized that Ruki's aura had changed ever so slightly. In fact, I could tell he was doing his best to hide a grin.  
When we got home, I began making breakfast, but it didn't take me long to realize that Miyavi and Kai were making their own delightful treats in Kai's bedroom. I sighed and turned on a small radio in the kitchen, but it didn't muffle their noises much. I began to wonder which one was seme when I dropped a spatula. I reached down to pick it up, and Reita grabbed my rear. When I looked at him, he just laughed and said, "Well, it was right there. I had to."  
Kai's eyes were closed tight and his teeth were clenched as he tried his best to grin and bear it. "It'll get better dear I promise," Miyavi purred delicately. I could hear everything through the flat's thin walls, and it was irritating.  
"Hey Reita, do me a favor babe and break those two up. Tell them to get a hotel room, they certainly have the funds to." I really didn't want to hear them in the morning.  
Reita shrugged. "If you can deal with it once and explain your torture in excruciating detail, it could be easier to persuade them to go to Miyavi's place next time." Kai and Miyavi had been a pair for almost three months; I knew it had to come to this eventually.  
Ruki left the flat that night without a word to any of us. He pulled out the business card and read the address over a few times, his dark hair dancing about in the evening breeze. When he reached Shou's apartment he had barely knocked on the door before Shou had let him in.  
I wasn't too worried about where Ruki had gone off to; he had a copy of the key and if he had met someone in the store I knew he would take things slowly and Ruki has an expansive knowledge in martial arts. While he was gone, I noticed there were some dishes missing and I went to check his room. I found the dishes from last night with the food still on it; not a bite was taken. I took care of the dishes and returned to his room.  
The calendar on his wall had caught my eye. Every day since his mother's death day was marked with a small black X in the corner until the thirteenth day. On the thirteenth day, the calendar said, "し" (or shi) thirteen times. Shi was the number four. Shi was the number of death, the word for death…Was he planning suicide? I scratched my head as I tried to figure out why it was in hiragana instead of kanji.  
I hurried to Reita, my stomach reeling. After showing him what I had seen, he too was worried. We stayed up all night trying to figure out how to deal with Ruki's plans. I hadn't cried that hard in a while. Poor Reita…having to deal with all our shit.


	11. Chapter 11

Shou was leaning back in his chair, enjoying Ruki's presence. They had spent a good amount of time just talking and drinking; the night was still young and neither Shou nor Ruki were in much of a rush. Ruki was trying his hardest to forget all of the things that had been troubling him the past few weeks.  
Shou stood and took Ruki's hand. "Let's move to the living room where we can watch a good movie. I have Train Man, Kagen no Tsuki, Oresama, Moonchild, Azumi, Suicide Club"-  
"That one is fine." Ruki let himself be guided to the couch by Shou. Shou turned on the television set and put in the DVD. As they were watching the film, Ruki paid little attention to what was on the screen. His thoughts kept drifting. Shou didn't notice Ruki's detachment because his focus was on the movie. Once the end credits began rolling, Ruki stood. "I think I should get home now."  
"But why?" Shou could hear a gentle hint of sorrow in Ruki's voice. "You can stay with me here for the night if you want. I have a guest bedroom…it is about 2 AM now." In all honesty, Shou lived alone, and he hated being alone. He didn't get company all that often, and what he really wanted was a friend. He was a loner, and sure he got into trouble sometimes and had some problems, but doesn't everybody?  
Ruki pulled out his cell phone and called Reita. Reita didn't answer (he was asleep) and so Ruki left a message saying he would be home the next day. Ruki hung up and Shou lead him to the guest room. It was small, but cozy and perfect for Shou's hosting needs. Shou left to go to his own room. Ruki undressed until he was only in his boxers and went to sleep.  
When Ruki woke in the morning, it was early and he could smell bacon. When he made his way out to the kitchen, he found Shou making breakfast. Everything seemed normal when Shou dished out breakfast and sat down with him until Ruki took a drink of his orange juice. He looked over and noticed Shou was drinking hard liquor with his morning meal.  
Afraid to say anything and upset his new pal, Ruki kept quiet, eating his meal in silence. Afterwards, he put his dishes in the sink and was about to ask if he could use Shou's shower. But Shou rose suddenly and walked up to Ruki, looking a bit distressed. "Ruki I really don't like having this problem." It came out so randomly. Ruki smiled. He knew where the best help was, and he was going to help his new friend get over his alcoholism…even if it was the last good thing he did.  
On this same morning, Uruha was putting the finishing touches on his makeup. He hadn't touched a bottle of sake in three days, and even though he was aching for a drink, Uruha felt that winning over his true love was more important than the bottle.  
On his was to Saga's, Uruha stopped at a local flower shop and bought a two-dozen rose bouquet. He was beginning to feel extremely nervous, something that he tended not to feel when he was drunk. Being sober had both its pros and cons.  
Uruha knocked on the door with three even taps of his knuckles. When Maya answered the door, he shook his head. "What are you doing here? Do you know what time it is?" Maya's face turned from slightly confused to completely lost when he realized that Uruha looked very nice and didn't even smell of alcohol. Maya opened the door and let Uruha in, not sure of what was going on.  
Maya found a vase for the roses and Uruha took the time to put them in. He left the vase of roses on the kitchen table and instead of pestering Maya about Saga's whereabouts, Uruha took a seat on the living room couch and waited patiently.  
After ten minutes of silence Saga came out of his room wearing only some plaid pajama pants. He noticed the roses in the kitchen first, taking a moment to inspect them. He was about to ask Maya where these came from, since Maya was getting himself a glass of water in the kitchen, when he noticed a small card tucked in the flowers.  
The card simply said, "I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?" This was the most romantic thing Saga had ever had happen to him, so when he looked over and saw Uruha on the couch, he was stunned. Walking over to the couch, Saga sat next to him. "You...did this?" Saga was even more surprised when he realized he didn't smell sake.  
Uruha nodded, "yes," he said quietly. His face was turning a bright red. Uruha was never this shy, but he had never tried to get someone's attention while he was sober, either.  
Saga felt like there was a completely different man sitting next to him, one he could actually fall for. Of course, it never crossed his mind before, the idea of being with someone, and it made him feel nervous. The uncertainty, the spontaneity, it would surely kill him. Saga shook his head.  
"I don't know," Saga said at last. A relationship? He hadn't even thought about it. "I need to think." Saga was afraid to commit, afraid to fall in love, and it was beginning to show right now. Maybe it was because his mother had passed when he was very young, and it changed the rest of the family. Maya is a homebody, Saga won't date, and their father Hyde likes sleeping with random men. It definitely tore the family apart.  
"That's fine," Uruha said quietly. "You can call me after you have made up your mind. We start a tour in a few weeks." Uruha got up and calmly walked out the door. He made his way outside and realized he was shaking, but not from nervousness. He had to hold out; he couldn't be drinking sake at a time like this. Once Uruha returned to the flat, he went straight to his room for a nap. He figured if he were unconscious then he wouldn't drink.  
Ruki was home now; he had brought Shou with him. Reita, Ruki and I were to be Shou's support team. Shou told us how he believed to have developed his alcoholism, and it made a lot of sense…his parents were abusive drunks and Shou never managed to finish high school because he joined a gang when he was 15. The gang turned on itself and members were killing each other when Shou left. He ran away; if any of his gang members found him they'd kill him. It has been three years since that happened. Shou's drinking was a way for the man to escape his past hell. It made sense enough to me…but we needed to figure out a way to make Shou feel safe and secure; that would make his quitting a lot easier.  
There was a random knock on the door. When I answered it, there were two men at the door that I had never seen before. One was wearing a long, black trench coat and combat boots. The other was in a tight-fitting tank top and fresh blue jeans. "My name is Atsushi and this is my bother Hyde; I'm Ruki's father," he said with a polite bow. Atsushi walked in first and sat at the table. The look on his face seemed sinister; I had no idea what he was up to. Hyde was with him, and he went straight for the bedrooms. When he found Uruha's, he knocked on the door. Atsushi kicked his feet onto our kitchen table and was glaring at Ruki. "You know there's only five days, right?"  
Ruki looked right back at Atsushi. "Yeah, I know the rule. Once an assassin takes a client's case, the only way the victim can survive is if he kills the client before the day of the assassination…the only thing is, you are not supposed to tell your victim when you're going to kill him. I know I'm your son and you don't want to have to do this, but geez. That's murder 101."  
Atsushi let a demented smile play across his already wicked features. "You'd better find out who my client is," he said in a playful warning and left our flat. Uruha didn't answer from his room so a confused Hyde asked where he was. I wasn't enjoying this man's vibe so I said he left somewhere…Thus, Hyde departed.  
Hyde wasn't very far from our flat when he ran into Satoru, whose fellow gang members had paid his bail. "Haven't seen you around before," Satoru said suddenly. He bowed in a rather western style and held his hand out. "Join me for some tea, will you darling?" A confused Hyde accepted the offer and was taken to a tea ceremony. One where evil plans would conspire and cause mayhem for all of the GazettE…


	12. Chapter 12

Satoru and Hyde were sitting on a tatami mat in the local tea garden, along with a few of Satoru's cohorts, Takeru, Chiyu, and Masato. "I'll pay you 10 million yen to do this. And after the job is done you can choose to either join me or I can just leave you alone and have this be our little secret."  
Hyde was thinking for a moment, "Well, but what about my little Uru chan?"  
Satoru knew just what to say to make Hyde say yes. "Well, I suppose if you feel that strongly for him, do with him as you wish. Even better yet, you both could join me and my cronies and become some of the most respected men in Tokyo. You could both live together as lavishly as princes."  
Hyde made a face. This was too good to be true. "What's the catch; what's the price?"He was almost certain there had to be more to it all than this simple offer. There is no way a Yakuza boss could be this generous.  
"Well, of course if you two become members you will have to do some small jobs now and then, but nothing this big. Pull this off and you have shown me your loyalty and gained my trust. But as I said, if after this you want to part ways, that is fine as well. The offer is on the table." Satoru knew he had Hyde now.  
Hyde reached his hand out, and the two gentlemen shook on it. A lady in a silk kimono came by and poured the gentlemen more tea. Satoru was watching Hyde under his sunglasses; everything seemed to be falling into place oh-so-well…  
Uruha woke up from his nap and walked into the kitchen where Ruki, Reita, Shou, and I were still talking. He was standing about a foot away from the table in a complete daze when I realized that Uruha could play an important role in keeping both himself and Shou sober. "Buddy system," I interjected out of nowhere.  
Ruki caught my drift right away. "Interesting idea, but do you think it will work?"  
I shrugged. "It is worth a try, I suppose. Buddy systems seem to work in every other program; why not do it now?"  
Uruha sighed after we explained it to him. "I don't want to," he whined. When I asked if he wanted to try quitting at all, he gave me the same response. When I then went on to offer him some sake, he said the same thing and continued to stare blankly at nothing.  
I went over to Uruha. "Dude, what's wrong?" I wrapped my arms around him, but he didn't hug back. Reita came over and I moved out of his way.  
Reita looked Uruha in his sorrow-filled eyes. "If you don't tell one of us what's wrong, I'll… I'll..." Without putting much thought into it, Reita came up with a threat. "I'll kiss you, hard…In front of everyone here. Maybe feel you up a bit, too."  
Uruha kept staring straight ahead, towards someplace in his mind that extended past Reita. "I don't want to." Reita's eyes darted over to me. I nodded. I didn't want my Reita to be spitting empty threats, so I gave him full permission.  
Reita grabbed Uruha's stiff and unyielding body. One of Reita's hands was clenched onto the nape of Uruha's neck, the other on the small of his waist. The bassist wasted no time getting to business, crashing his lips against the guitarist's and driving his tongue deeply into Uruha's mouth. The whole thing looked so violent, and Uruha still wasn't reacting at all.  
Since Reita was wearing a vest, I watched his arm muscles flex as the arm that was on the small of Uruha's back slid down to the young man's ass and groped it. Reita stopped suddenly and pulled away rapidly, cursing softly as he scurried off to the bathroom. I followed Reita to the bathroom to ask him what was wrong. When I saw him, he was holding a cotton ball to the side of his tongue. "The bastard bit me!" Reita said, his words sounding strange with the cotton ball in his mouth.  
I gave Reita a peck on his arm. "You'll be okay, honey. I am going to find out what's wrong with Uruha. Us ladies have our ways of getting hard-headed people to speak. And I won't get bitten, I can promise you that."  
I went back out to the kitchen table, my eyes locked on Uruha. "Come with me," I said, dragging the guitarist by the arm into my room. I shut the door tight and locked it. "Tell me what your problem is. Now."  
Uruha glanced first to his left, then to his right. He had no choice. "Saga didn't say yes…well, he didn't say no, either. But I don't think he wants to be with me…I did everything just the way you told me."  
I looked at him. "An 'I don't know' or a 'maybe' is most likely a dramatic way of saying 'I'll say yes later' or…Saga may not be willing to be in a relationship right now"-  
"Or ever." Uruha said those two words and they rang in the air like a bell. Saga did have some really bad social anxiety, and even though he was in his mid-twenties, he had never been in a relationship before…not ever.

I took a seat next to Uruha on my bed and rested my hand on his shoulder. "Listen, I really want you to be with Saga, I really do. But if that isn't what Saga wants, then you can't force it upon him. I want you to be happy; I don't want to see you spend your whole life pining over someone who doesn't want to be with you."  
Uruha took my words harshly…perhaps too harshly, for he began crying and sobbing a little. "Saga and I were meant for each other…I just know it! And if not, then my life is just one big disappointment!" I sighed and left him to bawl in my room. I didn't know what else to say to him at this time, anyway.  
As I returned yet again to the kitchen, I found that Miyavi and Kai had joined the group. Kai was saying that someone needed to stay with Shou until he could learn to control his alcoholism. Both Kai and Miyavi turned their attention towards Ruki.  
"Okay, but I will just warn you that I can't do too much other than keep Shou on house arrest for the next few days or until I find my dad's client." Ruki had a look of reluctance marring his usually friendly face. That line ended our meeting as Ruki put his shoes on and left, Shou following close behind him.  
Kai was sitting on Miyavi's lap, so he snuggled into Miyavi's chest and made a soft cooing noise. Miyavi wrapped his lanky arms around Kai and cuddled back. "Aishiteru," I heard the pair whisper to each other. It was probably the cutest thing I had seen in weeks.  
The moment was interrupted when my cell phone began ringing. When I answered it, Maya was on the line. "What! I don't know…where…Oh god-why? SAGA'S LOCKED HIMSELF IN THE BATHROOM AND WON'T COME OUT AND I HAVE TO USE THE TOILET BAD!"  
This was an interesting surprise. "Um, well…why don't you have Aiji bring his tool kit over and you guys can take the door hinges off?" It was the best suggestion I can think of.  
"It can't wait!" I could hear the thud of Maya's feet as he was bouncing up and down in the hallway trying to keep from wetting himself.  
"All right, all right…does Saga have his cell phone with him?" I had to do something.  
"Yeah…but why is that important?" Maya would be able to use the bathroom sooner than he probably thought. I hung up the phone and dialed Saga's cell number. When he didn't answer, I figured there were two possible reasons. Either he doesn't have the phone with him, or he won't answer unless…

I went back to my room and opened the door. "Hey Uruha, can I borrow your cell phone for a moment?"  
Uruha was quite puzzled, but his tear-stained face poked out from the blankets of my bed with make-up smeared eyes, and he reached into his pocket, surrendering his cell phone to me.  
I plopped back down next to Uruha on my bed and found Saga in his contacts list. "Uruha," I said before hitting the call button, "I need you to cooperate with me for just a moment here, can you do that?"  
The guitarist looked at me with his saddest puppy eyes, but nodded a heartwarming 'yes'.  
I pressed the button, and when I could hear the ringing, I pushed a button so the cell phone would be on speakerphone. The thing rang five times before there was an answer. This means that Saga was most likely anticipating the call, but was having trouble deciding whether he should actually answer it.  
"Hello," a sobbing voice choked out so Uruha could hear.  
"Saga! But…why do you sound like you're crying?" Uruha's face tightened into an expression of worry.  
"Because…I have been. And it sounds to me like you have been shedding some tears as well." Saga sounded so serene despite all of the pain in his voice.  
Uruha's lips parted and he was about to confess it, to say those three little words that always mean so much when they're said to the right person. The ones that, when said properly, mean that you are their soul mate; that you belong with them for life…but…  
Saga said them first.


	13. Chapter 13

"Uruha…I love you." The words rolled right off of Saga's tongue, as if this wasn't the first time Saga had wanted to say them. Uruha was shocked to the point of speechlessness.  
Uruha struggled to reply, but when he did, he said, "You do! But I thought that you hated me." A large tear was sliding down Uruha's cheek and reached the bottom of his chin before landing on my comforter.  
We could hear Saga make a small wincing noise, like it hurt him to know that Uruha felt that way. "I'll be honest, Uru kun. I have always liked you, but I was afraid of getting involved with someone because of my parents. When my mother died, I promised myself I would never get close to anyone so that I wouldn't have to deal with losing them. Unfortunately, there is a pain far worse than love lost, and that pain is felt when love is never gained."  
It took Uruha a moment to process Saga's words, but once he did, he smiled. "Listen Saga, you don't have to worry about losing me; I'm not going anywhere. And we will grow old together; in fact, we'll live to be Super Centurions…" Uruha giggled, but then his tone became serious yet again, "I love you too, Saga."  
Uruha walked out of my room, finishing his conversation with Saga elsewhere, which was completely fine with me. The day had been long and there was just too much drama. I curled up in my bed and was about to nap, but I could hear Miyavi and Kai again…  
Aoi was on the balcony on this evening, working on writing a new song. He was trying to rhyme something with 'ogoru', but he stopped what he was doing when he felt a pair of eyes staring at him. The guitarist turned around. "Kyo!" he chirped.  
The vocalist leaned against the railing on the corner of the balcony next to Aoi's chair. "You're going to hate me," Kyo said dryly, looking at his fingers nonchalantly.  
"What did you do now, honey?" Aoi let an agitated sigh slip out as he set his guitar down, leaning it against his chair.  
"I took a train out to Mie-ken on Tuesday; that's why I was gone for a few days. It's really nice out there"- Aoi cut Kyo off.  
"You didn't! No!" Aoi was in complete disbelief. "You didn't tell my mother about us, did you?"  
"She knows. And really I would have only been there for one day, but she offered for me to stay the night…a few times. Now, I know I should have said something to you before I left, but she's totally cool with us. She said she kinda figured you were into guys since you haven't dated anyone that she's known of since the tenth grade."  
Aoi was clearly upset. He left the balcony in one hell of a hurry, taking refuge in his room. Kyo stole the seat Aoi had been occupying on the balcony just moments before. There was no point in chasing after his moody boyfriend; Aoi would probably just hit him, and it wasn't really his style to be romantic and sympathetic anyway. Aoi would come back to Kyo when he was ready to talk and settle this like an adult.  
Kyo lit a cigarette and took a long drag; it was dark and semi-quiet outside, just the way he liked it. The vocalist figured a few hours of just relaxing out in the darkness would be good for him.  
Back at Shou's place, Ruki was using his laptop to do some serious hacking. Shou was sitting next to him on the sofa, wondering what the hell was going on.  
"I'm doing something I probably shouldn't. Atsushi keeps all of his clients' names, addresses, and phone numbers on his PDA. I am interfering with the signal in between his PDA and the satellite. If I do this correctly, not only will I be able to track all of his calls, but I will be able to access all of the data stored on his PDA, even the stuff that normally isn't collected by the satellite." Ruki looked over at Shou and smiled.  
"How do you know all of this?" Shou tilted his head to the side.  
"Because I used to be an assassin as well." Ruki grinned wickedly.  
After almost an hour had passed, Ruki had made it into the satellite's mainframe and was downloading all of Atsushi's PDA's hard drive information, including the address book. Once he had successfully done so, the vocalist began scrolling through the information. "Damn, there are so many names! Well…I can narrow it down some by looking at the location of the clients. And I should see if there's anyone I am familiar with on here…" Suddenly, Ruki's eyes grew wide with a look of horror spreading over his face. "It can't be."  
Kaoru and Toshiya were having a quiet evening together at Kaoru's apartment. The pair had been secretly dating for about three years and were considering making it public. Kaoru was resting his head on Toshiya's chest. "What do you think the rest of the band would think of this?"  
Toshiya ran a hand through Kaoru's hair. "Well, I don't think Shinya or Kyo would give a fuck…but I don't know how well Die would take to it. He'd be so jealous of our perfect love."  
In reality, Toshiya was keeping a very big secret from Kaoru. He didn't want the pair to go public because he had secretly been meeting up with Die for random sex off and on for throughout the past year or so. It wasn't Kaoru's fault; their sex was great, it's just that Toshiya didn't like being seme all of the time, and Daisuke enjoyed making Toshiya scream.  
As Kaoru was laying sprawled out over Toshiya, he remembered when they first kissed…  
It was in the early spring, the sakura blossoms were full and the air around them felt so pure. Kaoru had asked Toshiya to go apartment hunting with him; Kaoru never liked doing much on his own. About halfway through the day, the two men had stopped looking to take a break in a nearby park.  
"You know, you didn't have to come along with me today", Kaoru said suddenly. He was looking at his own shoelaces as if they held some kind of magic powers.  
Toshiya shrugged; he hadn't noticed anything odd with the way his friend was acting. "No biggie."  
Kaoru had been crushing on Toshiya for a very, very long time, perhaps since high school. But he felt that if there were a perfect day to tell his best friend how he felt, this day had to be it. "Toshiya, you won't think of me any differently if I say something, will you?"  
He looked at Kaoru. Toshiya could read his best friend's posture very well. Kaoru was about to tell him that he was in love with someone. But…who? Toshiya shook his head. "To me, you will always be the same great guy who hit the winning home run in our game against Chiba our senior year, who made everyone giggle by dancing with me at my Uncle's wedding since I didn't have a girlfriend, and who always comes over to make me dinner on my birthday."  
Kaoru's face reddened. "Toshiya…I think I'm in love with you." He said it barely above a whisper, but Toshiya heard them, and that was all that mattered.  
Kaoru half-expected Toshiya to hit him or call him a sicko or say he's not into guys. But instead, he felt a pair of soft lips pressing against his, and a hand cradling his face. When he pulled away and saw that it was Toshiya who had kissed him, Kaoru wanted to scream with joy.  
Toshiya licked his lips. "I've always been in love with you." He wrapped his arms around Kaoru and after they left the park, Kaoru and Toshiya found Kaoru's apartment the first place they stopped at.  
Kaoru snuggled up closer to his lover. To him, life couldn't be more perfect…  
…Too bad he didn't know about Die.


	14. Chapter 14

Daisuke was walking down a side street. He had just left Toshiya's place after a passion-filled night, and was now heading to a rendezvous point Satoru had set up for him. As Die crossed a main street, passersby would stare at his blood red colored hair and shake their heads. Die preferred that they thought he was just a wild college student; it kept his true life well-hidden.  
Die approached an abandoned building on a corner in the red light district. Takeru was standing outside smoking a cigarette. "I can't let you in without a password."  
Die grunted. "But you always make me give it and the password never changes….and I know you know me by now, Takeru."  
Die's grumbling was of no use. "Just say it."  
The red-haired man sighed. "."  
"Alright. Come on in." Takeru moved out of the way so that Daisuke could enter. Satoru was enjoying some liquor and playing poker with Masato, Chiyu, and Atsushi when Die entered.  
Die pouted. "Atsushi, I hired you to off Ruki, not play poker."  
"The job will be done. I kill him tomorrow, remember? That was the date specified in our contract. So today I am relaxing so that I have the energy and focus to pull off the deed tomorrow." Atsushi flashed the 'I win' grin to Die.  
Just outside the building, peering in through the dusty glass was Yukihiro. He figured something was strange when his co-worker called in to work saying he was sick again for the third day in a row. As Yukihiro realized Satoru was in the Yakuza, all of the strange repeat clients Satoru had and all of the exotic vacations were making more sense in his head.  
Yukihiro quietly climbed down a stack of crates and jogged a few blocks away to a small alley. There he dialed Kai's cell phone number.  
Kai answered his phone. "Helloooo….." He groaned. Kai was feeling really ill on this day and hadn't left his bed in hours. Miyavi was around to pamper him and try to get his fever to go down.  
"I know you're sick, but I have something important to say," Yukihiro took a deep breath. "Satoru is in the Yakuza and Ruki's client is Daisuke Andou."  
Kai whimpered. "I figured it might be Die, and Ruki has probably figured that out already. Die has hated Ruki ever since Ruki refused to go out apartment hunting with Kaoru, which caused Toshiya and Kaoru to hook up. Even though Toshiya cheats on Kaoru with Die, Die will never be able to publicly claim Toshiya or confess his feelings of love for him to the rest of the world. Instead he just looks like a douchebag for being the third wheel. His silent jealousy has devoured him to the point to where he wants to kill Ruki for playing cupid in all this. If he gets Ruki, he'll probably go after Kaoru next." Yukihiro got off the phone, leaving his younger brother to rest.  
Kyo was content in watching an old slasher flick when he heard a knock on the door to his apartment. "Fuck off!" Kyo hated it when people interrupted him while he was in the middle of watching a good movie.  
"Well, fuck you too then!" A voice called out from behind the door. Of course, Kyo was obliged to answer the door now that he had heard Aoi's voice was on the other side of it. Pausing the DVD and peeling himself from the couch, the vocalist answered the door with a slightly annoyed expression on his face.  
Aoi ignored the look he was getting and wrapped his arms around Kyo's waist. "I missed you baby," he whispered in Kyo's ear before nipping at it playfully.  
Kyo's expression became neutral. "Did you decide that I am in the right yet again?" It always seemed that when Aoi and Kyo argued, no matter who was really right, Aoi always ended up submitting to Kyo.  
Aoi frowned. "No, what I decided was that you can be forgiven for being an ass."  
Kyo's face returned to its usual scowl. "What do you mean by that?"  
Aoi grabbed Kyo and bit his neck, clamping down hard. When he pulled away, he simply said, "Just shut up and fuck me already."  
Saga and Uruha were at Shou's apartment enjoying some time away from all of the madness at the flat. Ruki had left in a hell of a hurry earlier today, but he really did only have one day left to find and kill his father's client. Saga offered to help, but Ruki said this was his problem and he could take care of it on his own.  
Uruha and Shou were playing "drinking" games, but the pair was using root beer so that they wouldn't get in trouble for drinking alcohol. Uruha slammed his shot glass on the table with a heavy thud. "I win again!" he cheered.  
"I already told you I am not much of a chugger; I graze when I drink." Shou added a childish pout to make his whining complete.  
"You graze? Like a cow?" Uruha burst into a gigglefit.  
In the center of all this chaos sat Reita and I. The two of us wanted to go on a vacation together before the tour, but there was too much drama taking place at the flat for us to be able to travel and not worry about home every five minutes.  
Reita and I were just relaxing on Reita's bed; he was rubbing my belly lazily as we were trying to discuss everyone in the house. We wanted to connect the dots, and figure out how everyone could be traced to the Yakuza in five or less steps. Unfortunately, Satoru did have some control over the police in our area.  
I wanted badly to check on Kai, but I knew Reita didn't want me to get sick just a week before the tour, so I stayed put. If Kai wasn't so sick, maybe he would have told me about how Satoru victimized me because he had received false information and was told that I was Ruki's girlfriend and not Reita's. Apparently, Die wanted revenge…and badly.


	15. Chapter 15

It was just a few hours before the scheduled time set for Ruki's assassination, and Atsushi wasn't even out of bed yet. He did have a good excuse for it though, and the excuse was driving Takeru insane. After having to tolerate it for so long, he removed the pillow from on top his head and grumbled, "Why do you have to be so cheap Satoru? Couldn't you have rented at least two hotel rooms between the five of us?"  
Between heavy breaths, Satoru replied, "I didn't think Atsushi would have the energy to be doing this to me just hours before the job." All of the noise was making Masato kick in his sleep, and Chiyu was the one receiving the pummeling. Chiyu tried pushing Masato over, but he would just roll back to his original spot.  
As this was taking place, Ruki was loading his pistols and slipping them into his jacket. He walked out the door; fortunately for him Yukihiro had followed Daisuke to Toshiya's last night, and that was where Ruki would look first. Although it was usually a little warmer this time of year, this spring morning was chilly and bitter. The vocalist made his way down the sidewalk with a relaxed expression on his face, ignoring everyone else wandering the streets, focusing on his destination.  
Ruki climbed the steps and knocked on Toshiya's apartment door. Kaoru knew nothing of neither the affair Toshiya was participating in nor the fact that Daisuke was in the Yakuza. But all of that would be revealed to him within a few hours. Toshiya answered the door in some boxer shorts and badly messed hair. Ruki didn't even give Toshiya a chance to say "Oh, shit!" Ruki just pulled out a pistol and held it to Toshiya's head. "I am here to see Daisuke. Now. Don't tell him who's at the door, and don't give me any shit, or I will blow your brains out."  
Toshiya nodded and yelled, "Die, the door is for you." When Die asked who was there, Toshiya whimpered, "I don't know, some guy." Toshiya let Ruki in, who proceeded to take a seat on their sofa like they were good friends. He tucked the pistol back into his pocket, but let his fingers brush idly against the grip in case he needed to pull the gun out again quickly.  
Daisuke came out of Toshiya's room with a pair of shorts loosely pulled on (as if they had JUST been put on) and a cigarette was dangling from his mouth. "How lovely." Daisuke said bluntly as he saw Ruki was sitting on his couch. "Your time's almost up so if you want to kill me, do it now."  
Ruki stood and walked over to Daisuke. "That's not my style…I can't shoot even the filthiest of scum without him having a chance to defend himself. " Ruki tossed him a different pistol; it was the same as his except it had only one bullet in it. "Aim wisely," Ruki purred.

"You know, all of this is your fault." Daisuke took in a ragged breath and his face grew serious. "It's your fault I have to hide Toshiya from my friends and family. It's your fault Kaoru got to claim him first. And so it is your fault that I am going to have to kill you myself instead of having your own father do it...which, by the way, I thought would be an ironic and brilliant demise for you, seeing as how Atsushi was the one who trained you as an assassin in the first place."  
In the time it took for Daisuke to cock the pistol and hold it up so it was pointing square at Ruki's forehead, Ruki had cocked and pointed his gun, as well as pulled out a cigarette and lit it. "Oh, I see. You're a fast one," Die chuckled. "But you certainly aren't quick enough for this."  
Daisuke pulled the trigger. Unfortunately, Toshiya didn't want blood on his apartment walls, and had moved right in the way meaning to break up the pair. He had done so too late, and Toshiya cried out as a bullet grazed his arm.  
As Die saw the blood and reached out to hold Toshiya's arm, Ruki pulled the trigger. Since they were point blank, it was an easy shot, and Ruki made a beautiful hole in Die's forehead. He watched Daisuke's head hit the wall, and Toshiya cried out again, leaning down to hold his lover, who had died almost instantly.  
Ruki replaced the gun, putting it back in his pocket. "Go be with Kaoru; he's who you are meant to be with, and you know it." Toshiya nodded and scampered off, much too afraid to stay at the scene. Ruki cleaned the mess he'd made of Toshiya's apartment, and took to burning Die's body in the fireplace. He had held onto Daisuke's cell phone, and decided to call Atsushi.  
When his father answered the phone, Ruki smiled. "I killed Die." He said it so matter-of-factly, and when Atsushi heard these words, he replied, "Good. 'Cause I wasn't done with Satoru yet." The phone hung up on Ruki and he laughed. Now that that was out of his way, he had some matters at home to care for.  
Toshiya was huffing and puffing; he was barely able to breathe because of all of the trauma, and yet he kept running and running. When he reached Kaoru's, he all but collapsed in front of his door. When Kaoru answered the door, he panicked. "What happened to your arm, dear!"  
Toshiya walked into the house slowly. "Oh, it's nothing…I was just shot. That's all." Of course, Kaoru couldn't believe how casual Toshiya was being.  
"That's all! What really happened?" Kaoru rushed off and came back with a damp washcloth, some gauze, and medical tape.  
"Kaoru…I love you. I really do, and I am really sorry. Ruki and Die were having a gunfight and even though Daisuke ended up getting killed, I was trying to protect him. I probably shouldn't have since Die was in the Yakuza, but I didn't want anyone to get killed. Especially since…for the past year and a half…please forgive me, but I had been sleeping with Die."  
At this point, tears were swelling up in both men's eyes. Kaoru finished bandaging the wound quickly. Toshiya had never seen Kaoru genuinely angry before, so he wasn't sure what to expect. Kaoru smacked Toshiya, and as he marched off to his room, he shouted, "You're sleeping on the couch the whole next week!" As Toshiya watched Kaoru disappear, he grinned. That statement implied that although he was upset, Kaoru wanted him to stay at his place for the next week…probably to keep a watchful eye on him, but hopefully this relationship could be mended.  
Miyavi was walking through our flat only wearing a skirt that went halfway to his knees, and nothing else. "God, Miyavi, put that away!" I shouted playful as I was sitting on Reita's lap. Ruki came in through the door seeming cheery. I knew right away we would no longer have to worry about the assassination.  
Ruki walked up to the chair was Shou was sitting. "You can have my undivided attention now." That was probably the gentlest way Ruki could have said it. He had finished the job. Shou yawned. "I think we should go back to my place; I'm ready for a nap."  
As Shou stood, Ruki wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "You know what? I think I am too." I watched the pair put on their shoes and walk out. It was a refreshing sight.  
Miyavi was still prancing about making everyone laugh (except Kai, who was enjoying the free show a bit too much) when I received a call from Aiji. I answered it, and Aiji seemed a bit distraught.  
"What's up dude?" I asked, noticing how quiet he was being.  
Aiji didn't say anything for a few seconds, which I knew meant he was about to say something big. I could clearly hear him exhale before he mumbled. "Maya doesn't want to be my friend anymore."  
I couldn't believe it! The pair had been pals for a few years now. "What did he say?"  
Aiji took another breath. "Nothing. Well, he just said he couldn't go on like this anymore. He said we were in a strained friendship; it was old and tired and lacking."  
Lacking? …Did Maya have a secret crush?


	16. Chapter 16

I told Aiji I would be right over. Once I got off the phone, I told everyone at the flat that Aiji was having a social emergency and that I would be home in time to fix dinner. I instructed Reita to find out how many people were eating with us tonight so that I would know what to make when I got home.  
When I reached the apartment, Aiji let me in. Tears were staining his reddened cheeks, and his eyes looked tired and hopeless. I got a good look around the apartment before taking a seat on the sofa; Aiji told me that Maya had only taken half of his clothes and all of the Chupo Pops before he left, meaning he would probably come back to get the rest of his belongings.  
I needed to know everything that had happened. Aiji's face became redder for a moment, but he agreed. "This morning, when I woke up, I was going to fix breakfast as usual, and Maya came out looking like hell. I asked him what the matter was, and he said he'd had a sleepless night thinking about something that had been bothering him. This happened quite often, but Maya never told me what had been upsetting him all these years…at least, not until this morning."  
Aiji took a shuddered breath. "Maya said he couldn't be my friend anymore. When I asked him why, at first he said our friendship was routine and he just couldn't be happy around me anymore. When I asked why, he said it was because he had been secretly in love with me all these years." At this point, Aiji began crying again, and he finished the recollection between sobs. "He said it was torture having me living with him, going through these daily rituals as if we were a married couple, and yet he couldn't touch me, kiss me, or express his love. Every day was just one big tease. Maya left, saying that he can't take it anymore. I have no idea how to bring Maya back."  
I took Aiji's hand and smiled at him. "Well, do you love Maya?"  
Aiji nodded. "Of course; he's amazing."  
"No," I said softly, trying to retain a slight giggle, "Are you in love with him?"  
Aiji thought for a moment. "I don't know."  
Poor Aiji; I used to be just like him. Whenever the question of love came up, I tried to find the answer using my head instead of my heart. Overly analytical.  
"Okay…well, you are obviously upset that Maya's gone. Umm…tell me what you like about Maya."

Aiji looked around. "Well, Maya was always so nice to me. He wrote me a song for my birthday this year. Umm…Maya likes to bake with me, go out shopping. We had already bought tickets for the GazettE's upcoming tour, and now I don't know what to do with them. Maya is smart, and he always seemed to know how to make me smile and laugh. Whenever I would be upset he would wrap his arm around my waist and just hold me until I stopped crying…"  
It was already beginning to sound like love to me, but I let Aiji finish his list.  
"…Every night before bed, he would tuck me in as if he were my papa and give me a kiss on the forehead. Our cat, Bella, was a present he got me for Christmas three years ago. You should have seen her as a kitten." A smile found its way onto Aiji's lips. He was most definitely in love.  
Little did Aiji know that I had a tape recorder in the pocket of my jacket, and I had audio recorded every word we said. "Well, it sounds to me like you're head over heels for him."  
"What do I do?" Aiji's confusion was turning back to sorrow and worry. "I just want him to come home. I'd do anything to bring him back. The apartment is too lonely and empty without him." I told Aiji I would do my best to talk some sense into Maya. Aiji needed to get some rest while I was gone.  
I rewound the tape recorder while I was on the subway heading across town. I noticed there was a text message on my phone. When I opened it, Reita said there would be only eight over for dinner, including me and him. Also, it said that Miyavi and Kai went back to Miyavi's because Maya was there. My intuition told me that Maya may have been staying at Miyavi's and when I got there, I took a deep breath before knocking.  
Miyavi answered the door, and when he saw me, he squealed happily and let me in. Kai jumped on me, almost knocking me to the floor. "Alright boys, calm down." I looked over at Maya who was standing out on the balcony, staring down at the streets, being unusually distant. "I wish I had time to play, but I am here on important business." Kai and Miyavi nodded and went back to their videogame.  
I stepped out onto the balcony. "Hey, what's up?" Maya said nonchalantly without even turning to face me for a few seconds. He was thinking, and I could tell which direction his thoughts were heading in. His eyes were red and beginning to water.  
"Maya," I crooned as I placed my hand on his shoulder. "You know this is wrong. Aiji needs you back at home; the guy's a mess. You two fit together like striped socks and Chupo Pops. You're just making both of you miserable right now."  
Maya ignored the large tear rolling down his cheek. "But if Aiji cares at all about my feelings, he'd let me leave. I can't just pretend my pain isn't there. I love someone who doesn't love me back."  
I pulled out my tape recorder. "Guess again," I said as I let the tape play. Maya listened, his eyes narrowing as he was focusing, and his crying turned to gentle sniffles. When Aiji was naming all of the things he likes about Maya, his normal goofy grin returned.  
"Aiji really said all that?" Maya seemed amazed.  
"Yeah, and he has no idea I taped this either. It's our little secret." Maya wrapped his arms around me. "You're such a good friend." Maya rushed to the guest room of the apartment and gathered up his belongings. When he was heading for the door, Kai paused the game and the pair looked at him quizzically.  
"Don't worry, guys. I'm going home!"  
I stayed at the apartment for an hour longer, playing Gears of War for a bit. I asked Miyavi and Kai if they wanted to come back over for dinner, but Miyavi said they already had their own plans. I didn't even have to ask; Miyavi winked at me and I knew exactly what he meant.  
On my way home, I got another text message from Reita. Aoi was cooking dinner now, and everyone was going to Shinya's for dinner….when was all this decided? When I got home, the only person at the flat was Reita.  
Reita explained that Shinya and Aoi wanted to practice their cooking skills- Aoi wanted to be a better chef for Kyo, and Shinya's roommates, Tora and Hiroto, tend to catch food on fire, so somebody in the apartment needed to learn how to cook.  
When I asked Reita why he was still here at the flat, he said, "The others weren't sure if you were going to want to leave the flat again tonight. Besides, I told them I would make you come." A playful smirk hit Reita's face, and my mind processed that little innuendo.  
There hadn't been many moments where the flat was empty, and Reita was wanting to take full advantage of our current situation. With the tour starting in a few days, I would be left alone…well, maybe Miyavi or the boys from LM.C would come visit, but the place certainly wouldn't feel right without the GazettE.  
I reached up and pressed my lips against Reita's. I didn't mind that he took my shirt off and laid me on the kitchen table. I didn't care what he did to me that evening because I didn't know when we would have another chance to be that alone.


	17. Chapter 17

"Nice….oh, check out that one."  
Hiroto and Tora were spending their afternoon at the park sitting comfortably on one of the park benches. They were watching some young ladies play a game of chess.  
Smart and cute was always the boys' favorite combo, but today they were being wiser than usual. So far they had spent two hours at the bench, and they hadn't approached any of the females.  
"You know, maybe if we lay low, a lady will approach us. I think in the past we've come on too strong with cheesy pick-up lines and over-eager smiles." Hiroto looked to Tora for a response.  
"Or maybe all of the ladies think we're a pair because we're always together. Maybe you'll have more luck if I leave for a few minutes to go get us lunch. I'll be back in a bit."  
Tora left Hiroto in the park, and after another two hours had passed, Hiroto began to worry. The chess games were wrapping up, and Hiroto wasn't paying attention to the ladies anymore. As he tried to dial Tora for the tenth time, a girl in elegant lolita approached him. She noticed the concern marked on his face, and she frowned.  
"Excuse me, it may not be my business, but are you alright?"  
Hiroto jumped at the sound of a voice, and when he looked up from his phone and saw her, he almost cried aloud. "My friend's missing, I think. He was going to get us lunch a few hours ago and hasn't returned."  
The girl tilted her head. "Well, I can help you find him, if you want to go looking. My name's Nana Kitade, but my friends call me Katana." She smiled and held out her hand. "Shall we?"  
Hiroto had no idea what was happening, his head was spinning so fast. "Um, okay." He got off the bench and they began their search. Meanwhile…  
Tora stretched and yawned, his eyes were barely able to stay open at this point. When he realized what time it was, he jumped out of bed and scrambled to put his clothes on. "Hey baby, why are you in such a rush to leave?"  
Tora turned his head. "Because Hiroto doesn't know."  
Nao rolled over. "When are you going to tell him?"  
Hiroto was getting desperate in his search for Tora, and Nao's cell phone went off at that moment. "It's him calling right now. Should we be honest?"  
Nao's angelic eyes locked onto Tora. He sighed. "I did leave him in the park, and he would probably find out eventually anyway. I guess we should."  
Nao answered his phone. "Don't worry Hiroto, Tora's here with me. Why don't you come over and pay me a visit? You haven't been to visit anyone since you and Tora almost burned Shinya's place to the ground the other night. Now he's stuck at the GazettE's flat until the fire and smoke damages are taken care of."  
Hiroto frowned. "Mind if I bring someone with me?"  
Nao answered a bit too quickly. "Not at all. But Tora and I have something to tell you."  
"What is it?" Hiroto was feeling confused.  
"Well, all this time, Tora has been failing at getting with girls on purpose. The reality is that he and I are lovers."  
At first, Hiroto laughed. "Yeah, and I am the Dali Lama." When he didn't hear laughter on the other end of the line, Hiroto frowned. "For real?"  
Katana could tell that Hiroto's phone conversation was getting serious. She wrote her number on a small scrap of paper that she'd found in her purse and slipped it into Hiroto's pocket. She left without Hiroto noticing at first.  
When Hiroto reached Nao's place, he found both men were sitting in the living room, Tora was only wearing his jeans and Nao was in a thick robe, smoking a Cuban cigar. Nao set down his cigar and smiled at Hiroto. "Tora and I want to give you an offer you can't refuse…"  
That evening was a rough one for Reita and me. He had finished his packing, and tonight would be our last night at home together before the tour. Earlier in the day, Reita had left for a few hours, and he hadn't let me inside our bedroom since.  
I really wanted to know what surprise he was keeping shut away; my curiosity was driving me up the wall. Everyone had just finished dinner, and oddly, our guest Shinya had kept insisting that he care for the dishes, and so after a friendly argument, I let him go for it. I think he felt bad for having to stay with me during the GazettE's tour, but it wasn't his fault. Besides, I would probably want the company.  
Reita removed his nose tanga and put it over my eyes. "No peeking," he urged sweetly as he lead me to the bedroom door, opened it, and guided me inside. Reita counted to three, removed my blindfold, and when I opened my eyes, I fell speechless. The room was filled with plushies, there were photographs of us everywhere, and several bouquets of flowers lined the perimeter of the room. On our dresser was a box of chocolates and a letter.  
"Go ahead and open it." My face was littered with tears, but I opened the letter and tried my best to read it through blurry, tear-soaked eyes. I read the message; Reita wrote about how much he'd miss me on the tour and all of the little things I did to make him smile. There were some innuendos and hearts drawn along the top and bottom of the page, but the cutest part was the way he closed the letter- from your number one fan.  
I wrapped my arms around Reita. "Thank you honey so much!" The loving mood jumped to one of humor when both of us stopped and turned our attention towards strange sounds coming from the far wall. "Damn, Miyavi and Kai need a life." Reita chuckled and took a seat on the bed. Our bed was covered with rose petals, and I picked one up and flicked it at him. "And what the hell are these for?" I asked with a giggle, trying to be dramatic.  
Aoi and Kyo were watching the nightly news when Saga and Uruha came into the living room. "May we join you?" Saga asked politely.  
"Sure whatever." Kyo replied dryly with a shrug.  
Uruha looked over to Aoi. "Where's Ruki?"  
Aoi flicked his lip ring with the tip of his tongue. "Ah, I think he went to Shou's place to give him tips on how to stay alcohol-free while he's gone on tour. I believe he said he was even going to give Shou his cell number or something in case of emergency. I think Shinya and Reita's girl should pay him a brief visit a few times during the tour to check up on him, but that's just my opinion."  
Kyo pinched the back of Aoi's neck, his own special way of politely telling Aoi to quiet down. Of course, Aoi didn't pay it any heed. "Did you hear about Maya and Aiji? I heard that they're going to Okinawa for the weekend."  
"Really?" Uruha always wondered when the two would go out together. "I am glad we are playing the last shows of the tour here in Tokyo then; that way Maya and Aiji will be able to come."  
Aoi nodded. "Aiji already has tickets."  
Kyo reached over and bit Aoi's shoulder, finally silencing him. Now Kyo could watch the news in peace.


	18. Chapter 18

It was finally the day of the show in Tokyo. I was so excited, and yet, something was missing. I was well-dressed, grabbed my VIP pass, and went with Shinya, Aiji, and Maya to the train station. There was a light rain outside. During the train ride, we were all silent, except Maya who kept whispering and giggling into Aiji's ear, which made Aiji smile contently.  
At the concert hall, we went to the room the GazettE would be in prepping for the show. Ruki and Uruha were getting dressed; Aoi was doing his make-up and Kai was sitting back playing with a Nintendo DS. I looked to the left and the right. "Where's Reita?"  
Aoi turned to me. "I don't know. He disappeared unexpectedly an hour ago. I'm sure he'll be back in time."  
Just then, my cell phone went off. "Hello?"  
"This is Doctor Nishikawa. I need you to come down to Shiroi Medical Center right away. It's about Akira Suzuki."  
I was stunned; yet my first thought was "When did Reita put me on his emergency contact card?" I told the doctor I would be there right away. "You are going to have to cancel tonight's show," I said. "Reita's in the hospital."  
I made it to Shiroi Medical Center with the rest of the GazettE, Shinya, Aiji and Maya. When we reached level 3, Doctor Nishikawa asked to speak with me in private. He pulled me into his office.  
"Please have a seat." After I had done so, he looked me in the eyes, pushing his thick black frames up before blinking hard. "I'm sorry. But we have a complicated situation to discuss. Akira was stabbed multiple times on the way back to the concert hall after purchasing this." The doctor pulled out a small plastic bag, and when I opened it, I gasped. There was a small velvet case containing a diamond ring placed on a band of white gold. I closed the case and handed it back to the doctor.  
"What's his current condition?" I asked, a large tear rolling down my cheek.  
The doctor nodded to himself; he knew that would be my next question. "He's alive, but in critical condition. We've sutured the wounds but he is in dire need of a blood transfusion. We would like to sample your, his band mates' and his close friends' blood to see if anyone is a match. We have some extra doctors and technicians on staff to help get the results of everyone's blood samples as quickly as possible."

Doctor Nishikawa and I went out into the lobby and had everyone sign consent forms for blood sampling purposes. Doctors and nurses collected samples from all of us quickly and effectively. After I had given my sample, Doctor Nishikawa led me into Reita's room where I could see him. He wasn't conscious, but I was so happy to see he was alive. The happiness subsided though as I burst into tears.  
I stood next to his bed for several minutes, just holding his hand and letting my emotions run their course. When I finally went back out to the lobby, Kai gave me a gentle hug and Ruki used his thumb to wipe the tears off my face. "Shhh…" Ruki whispered to me in a hushed voice. "Reita's girl isn't allowed to cry." He was smiling weakly as he said it.  
I wandered over to one of the nearby benches and took a seat, leaning my head against Uruha. Uruha wrapped his arm around my waist and kissed my forehead before he began crying. Even passing nurses looked concerned and saddened when they saw all of us.  
The two hours that passed were long, but finally Doctor Nishikawa returned. "We have some good news for you. We have two blood type matches for Mr. Suzuki. Two of you are A negative blood types." We all perked up. Who was it?  
Doctor Nishikawa smiled. "Aiji, you are one of the matches." Aiji nodded. "And you," he said, looking at me, "are the other match. Would both of you like to donate?" We both nodded enthusiastically.  
The day after the transfusion, Reita woke up. It was in the middle of the afternoon, and I was sitting at his bedside when it happened. He opened his eyes and looked at me. "What the hell?"  
"Don't move too much, honey. We don't want your wounds to reopen." I smiled at him.  
"How long have I been here?" he asked.  
I held his hand gently. "Since yesterday. We postponed last night's concert because you left the concert hall before the show and didn't return. I got a call saying you were stabbed multiple times. The police have been by and want me to call the station after you've woken up."  
Reita asked me to hand him the tote of his clothes and belongings. He dug through it. "Where is it? Did Satoru take it?"  
I knew what he was talking about, but… "Satoru stabbed you! What motive would he have?"  
Reita shook his head. "I don't know. But I bought something important last night"-  
Doctor Nishikawa came in and gave the velvet case to Reita. "You mean this? I put it in the safe in my office so no one would steal it." He winked at Reita before leaving the room again.  
So Reita, with Intravenous fluids being fed into his arm and wearing only a hospital gown, hopped off his bed and did his best to kneel down. I started crying again, but these were tears of true happiness that covered my face now, and when I walked out wearing both my ring and my tears, I was met with messages of congratulations and smiles from everyone in the hospital lobby.  
The concert took place three days later, but Reita was careful not to get himself hurt during his performance, and the fans had brought him all kinds of gifts and get-well cards. The best moment was after the concert, when Reita finally came back home with the rest of us.  
We decided to hold a welcome home party for the band, and so the flat was filled with people. Kai and Miyavi made all of the food, and I made sure Reita took his medicine. After a while, he wouldn't have to take it anymore, but they had given him so much new blood.  
We had gotten the band a giant four-layer cake, but Reita didn't want to eat all that sugar. His birthday was coming up, and he really didn't want to get fat. Or at least that was Reita's excuse.  
I knew what was really going on. Reita told everyone he wanted to talk to me for a few minutes, but he took me to the beach. It was there, during the sunset, that he held me close. "I am going to love you and protect you forever," he said, "but you know that already." I nodded. "What date would you like for the wedding?"  
I smiled. "How much preparation would we need?"  
"Well," Reita said barely above a whisper, "I know that you never really wanted a big gathering, and despite our status, I don't want a big event either. Something small and private, maybe fifty people at most, would be ideal. I would rather have a small wedding and a large honeymoon where we get to go someplace exotic. What do you think?"  
I smiled. "Yeah, that sounds good."  
Reita leaned in and kissed me, and we didn't return to the flat for another hour or so, our clothes soaked and sand in our hair.


	19. Chapter 19

It was finally the day of the show in Tokyo. I was so excited, and yet, something was missing. I was well-dressed, grabbed my VIP pass, and went with Shinya, Aiji, and Maya to the train station. There was a light rain outside. During the train ride, we were all silent, except Maya who kept whispering and giggling into Aiji's ear, which made Aiji smile contently.  
At the concert hall, we went to the room the GazettE would be in prepping for the show. Ruki and Uruha were getting dressed; Aoi was doing his make-up and Kai was sitting back playing with a Nintendo DS. I looked to the left and the right. "Where's Reita?"  
Aoi turned to me. "I don't know. He disappeared unexpectedly an hour ago. I'm sure he'll be back in time."  
Just then, my cell phone went off. "Hello?"  
"This is Doctor Nishikawa. I need you to come down to Shiroi Medical Center right away. It's about Akira Suzuki."  
I was stunned; yet my first thought was "When did Reita put me on his emergency contact card?" I told the doctor I would be there right away. "You are going to have to cancel tonight's show," I said. "Reita's in the hospital."  
I made it to Shiroi Medical Center with the rest of the GazettE, Shinya, Aiji and Maya. When we reached level 3, Doctor Nishikawa asked to speak with me in private. He pulled me into his office.  
"Please have a seat." After I had done so, he looked me in the eyes, pushing his thick black frames up before blinking hard. "I'm sorry. But we have a complicated situation to discuss. Akira was stabbed multiple times on the way back to the concert hall after purchasing this." The doctor pulled out a small plastic bag, and when I opened it, I gasped. There was a small velvet case containing a diamond ring placed on a band of white gold. I closed the case and handed it back to the doctor.  
"What's his current condition?" I asked, a large tear rolling down my cheek.  
The doctor nodded to himself; he knew that would be my next question. "He's alive, but in critical condition. We've sutured the wounds but he is in dire need of a blood transfusion. We would like to sample your, his band mates' and his close friends' blood to see if anyone is a match. We have some extra doctors and technicians on staff to help get the results of everyone's blood samples as quickly as possible."

Doctor Nishikawa and I went out into the lobby and had everyone sign consent forms for blood sampling purposes. Doctors and nurses collected samples from all of us quickly and effectively. After I had given my sample, Doctor Nishikawa led me into Reita's room where I could see him. He wasn't conscious, but I was so happy to see he was alive. The happiness subsided though as I burst into tears.  
I stood next to his bed for several minutes, just holding his hand and letting my emotions run their course. When I finally went back out to the lobby, Kai gave me a gentle hug and Ruki used his thumb to wipe the tears off my face. "Shhh…" Ruki whispered to me in a hushed voice. "Reita's girl isn't allowed to cry." He was smiling weakly as he said it.  
I wandered over to one of the nearby benches and took a seat, leaning my head against Uruha. Uruha wrapped his arm around my waist and kissed my forehead before he began crying. Even passing nurses looked concerned and saddened when they saw all of us.  
The two hours that passed were long, but finally Doctor Nishikawa returned. "We have some good news for you. We have two blood type matches for Mr. Suzuki. Two of you are A negative blood types." We all perked up. Who was it?  
Doctor Nishikawa smiled. "Aiji, you are one of the matches." Aiji nodded. "And you," he said, looking at me, "are the other match. Would both of you like to donate?" We both nodded enthusiastically.  
The day after the transfusion, Reita woke up. It was in the middle of the afternoon, and I was sitting at his bedside when it happened. He opened his eyes and looked at me. "What the hell?"  
"Don't move too much, honey. We don't want your wounds to reopen." I smiled at him.  
"How long have I been here?" he asked.  
I held his hand gently. "Since yesterday. We postponed last night's concert because you left the concert hall before the show and didn't return. I got a call saying you were stabbed multiple times. The police have been by and want me to call the station after you've woken up."  
Reita asked me to hand him the tote of his clothes and belongings. He dug through it. "Where is it? Did Satoru take it?"  
I knew what he was talking about, but… "Satoru stabbed you! What motive would he have?"  
Reita shook his head. "I don't know. But I bought something important last night"-  
Doctor Nishikawa came in and gave the velvet case to Reita. "You mean this? I put it in the safe in my office so no one would steal it." He winked at Reita before leaving the room again.  
So Reita, with Intravenous fluids being fed into his arm and wearing only a hospital gown, hopped off his bed and did his best to kneel down. I started crying again, but these were tears of true happiness that covered my face now, and when I walked out wearing both my ring and my tears, I was met with messages of congratulations and smiles from everyone in the hospital lobby.  
The concert took place three days later, but Reita was careful not to get himself hurt during his performance, and the fans had brought him all kinds of gifts and get-well cards. The best moment was after the concert, when Reita finally came back home with the rest of us.  
We decided to hold a welcome home party for the band, and so the flat was filled with people. Kai and Miyavi made all of the food, and I made sure Reita took his medicine. After a while, he wouldn't have to take it anymore, but they had given him so much new blood.  
We had gotten the band a giant four-layer cake, but Reita didn't want to eat all that sugar. His birthday was coming up, and he really didn't want to get fat. Or at least that was Reita's excuse.  
I knew what was really going on. Reita told everyone he wanted to talk to me for a few minutes, but he took me to the beach. It was there, during the sunset, that he held me close. "I am going to love you and protect you forever," he said, "but you know that already." I nodded. "What date would you like for the wedding?"  
I smiled. "How much preparation would we need?"  
"Well," Reita said barely above a whisper, "I know that you never really wanted a big gathering, and despite our status, I don't want a big event either. Something small and private, maybe fifty people at most, would be ideal. I would rather have a small wedding and a large honeymoon where we get to go someplace exotic. What do you think?"  
I smiled. "Yeah, that sounds good."  
Reita leaned in and kissed me, and we didn't return to the flat for another hour or so, our clothes soaked and sand in our hair.


	20. Chapter 20

It was Satoru who had stabbed Reita, and so there was only one thing left to do. Miyavi was out with Kai, even though I told them not to go. The last thing I wanted was for someone else close to me to get hurt.  
Fortunately, nothing bad happened to the pair, although there was some excitement. Miyavi and Kai were at the grocery store. Kai was having a massive craving for some coconut pocky, and so the couple went to fetch him some. They were roaming the snacks aisle when someone came up behind Miyavi and whispered, "Do you like chocolate?"  
The question was random, and strange, but Miyavi himself was such, and so when he spun around on his heels and chirped, "Milk chocolate is my favorite!" it threw the other man off-guard. Kai gasped, but afterwards he just looked at Takeru with confusion.  
"What are you doing here?" Kai asked, his eyebrows furrowed slightly. Miyavi grabbed a couple boxes of the coconut pocky in one hand and Kai's hand in the other. Last time he saw Takeru someplace random, it spooked him a little.  
Takeru noticed Kai and Miyavi's hands, and he sighed. "I was just saying hello, I suppose. It seems lately there's no use in trying anything anymore. Everything's a letdown." Kai scratched the back of his head, watching Takeru march away with his head hung low.  
Yukihiro was in the same grocery store, but he was on a different mission. The host wasn't following his little brother; he was buying steak. Yukihiro looked over, his eyes noticing something strange. Satoru was in the meat department too; he went behind the counter and disappeared through the push-open doors. "What the hell?"  
Yukihiro couldn't help himself; he went to the meat counter and asked one of the men there why a customer was allowed in the back despite the 'employees only' signs. The worker simply said that he always goes back there, and the manager lets him because he purchases a whole pig's worth of pork belly.  
Why would he need so much pork belly? Yukihiro figured maybe with Satoru's status in the Yakuza, sometimes he had to buy dinner for some of his cohorts. It seemed typical, but…  
Today Satoru didn't buy any pork belly. He came back out through the swinging double-doors, a look of agitation on his face. Satoru's suit jacket flipped out slightly, and Yukihiro could see it clearly-Satoru had a gun hidden. When Satoru breezed right past him, Yukihiro could smell the after scent of the ignition of a firearm.  
Did Satoru shoot someone? Yukihiro didn't hear anything. Maybe there was a silencer on the weapon? Through a small window on one of the double doors, Yukihiro watched one of the meat department workers dial 911. He had indeed shot someone. But why?  
The host felt he couldn't just sit back and let Satoru leave. Yukihiro began running, and he ran right into Takeru. "What are you doing here?" Yukihiro asked.  
Takeru didn't answer right away. The young man was just staring, staring, staring…."Oh, my apologies." Takeru shook his head. He had noticed Yukihiro before at the sushi bar, but he didn't really know who he was. The only thing Takeru did know was that Yukihiro sure was handsome.  
Yukihiro knew who Takeru was though. "You know Satoru just shot someone right?" He figured that maybe Takeru hadn't left the yakuza, and maybe Takeru would tie him up for knowing this piece of information, but it was a risk he was willing to take.  
Either Takeru was a good actor, or he really did leave the yakuza…although full departures from gangs not involving death was an extremely rare occurrence. Yukihiro watched Takeru's eyes grow wide. "What? Satoru's here?" It took him another moment to process the rest of it. "Who'd he shoot?"  
"Someone in the meat department." Yukihiro certainly wasn't expecting this next reaction from Takeru.  
"No! MASATO KUN!" Takeru took off running. Yukihiro scratched his head and wondered why a yakuza boss would shoot one of his most loyal members. But there was little time to think on that; Yukihiro began running again. He spotted Satoru near the front of the store.  
Yukihiro was always a smart man; he grabbed a candy bar and as stealthily as possible, he slipped it into Satoru's back pocket without him noticing. When the door sensors went off, Satoru stopped for a moment. He didn't remember pocketing anything…  
Because there had been a lot of shoplifting going on at this particular location, a security guard who watched the doors during this shift stopped Satoru. While the guard was giving Satoru the pat down, Yukihiro was standing right behind Satoru and began using sign language. He was trying to tell the guard that Satoru was a mob boss and not to let him go until the police arrive.  
Luckily for Yukihiro, the guard understood. When he found the candy bar, he smiled. Planting it in Satoru's back pocket sure was smart. The guard said to Satoru, "we have some paperwork to fill out on this," while holding the candy bar up. As he was taking Satoru to the back room, he signed to Yukihiro "thank you". It was then that Yukihiro decided he could get famous by writing a book called, "How to Catch a Mob Boss: Based on a True Story".

Miyavi and Kai were followed back to the flat that night. I was just lying with Reita on the couch watching the television when there was a knock. Miyavi and Kai were too busy enjoying their pocky to answer the door, so Aoi, who was pouring himself some milk, went to answer it.  
Oddly enough, Takeru was at the door, and he asked to speak with Kai. Aoi was confused but he let the man in, more because it had just begun raining outside than anything else.  
Takeru went straight to Kai. "Hey. Ummm….sorry to bother you guys but…can I ask a few things?" Miyavi and Kai looked at each other in confusion, but Kai nodded. Takeru continued, "there's this guy that I like. When I asked around, it seems that he's your brother. Is he single? And if so, where and when would be the best for speaking with him?"  
Kai's face spread into a full smile. "Yukihiro is single, but that's mostly because of the line of work he does. He could date someone if he wanted, but the job is easier if you stay out of relationships. The best way to talk to him is to contact him at the host club he works at. But don't establish yourself as a client. Instead of asking for an appointment, come in during his lunch and say you're a friend of Kai's and you just want to speak with him briefly. Then you can schedule time to spend with him outside of work."  
"Damn!" Takeru said with a laugh, "it sounds harder to spend time with him than a rockstar."  
When we turned on the news that night, it seemed that the motive behind Reita's stabbing and Masato getting shot were connected. Fortunately, Masato wasn't dead, but he was in the Intensive Care Unit.  
Takeru said Masato broke a promise. Apparently, he secretly had a "thing" for Reita, which is why he kept Takeru from trying to help the boys find me when Satoru had kidnapped me. Masato's crush was distracting him; although he had promised Satoru that he wouldn't ever chose someone else over Satoru and the yakuza, word slipped out that he was planning on killing me, kidnapping Reita, and leaving Tokyo.  
Satoru knew too many complications would arise if Masato left, worse yet, Masato's murders were always sloppy and Satoru didn't want to be connected to anything Masato did. So Satoru figured Masato would stay with the gang if Reita were dead. When the stabbing failed, Masato didn't go to last night's meeting. Masato worked a day job in the meat department at Marusho's as a cover, and Satoru decided that he needed to eliminate Masato since he threatened the gang's continuation. Unfortunately for Satoru, he ended up locked up anyway.


	21. Chapter 21

"Where is it, where is it, where is it?" Kyo's voice actually expressed an emotion other than anger or lust as he was digging through the bag I'd brought. I was in the other room, and Aoi had asked a small errand of him. "Found it!"  
When Kyo brought the item to Aoi, Aoi reached out and adjusted Kyo's shirt collar. "Remember, just this one day she's asking you to wear this. We need to look sharp." Kyo nodded.  
Kai was helping the caterers set up. There was to be three different main dishes served, and Kai did everything to make sure the food was perfect. "How much cheesecake did you bring?"  
The pastry chef turned to Kai. "I have three 24" X 36" pans of it. I hope that's enough."  
Kai laughed. "That's way more than enough. You guys are awesome!"  
Uruha talking to the lead singer of the house band he'd hired about where to set up. "Alright Taka, most people have a DJ set up at these kinds of events, but that just means we have a perfect little dance floor, and a raised area that the band can play on like a stage. It's right over here."  
Ruki was sitting in the front pew; he was to be an usher, but since only those directly involved were there at this point, he was taking a breather. This mid-summer day was taking a toll on everyone, especially the two people this gathering was going to celebrate.  
Reita was leaning forward. He was reapplying his eye makeup for the third time; he felt he could almost never be satisfied with it. Maya was in the room, and he couldn't help but laugh when he realized that Reita was putting on his makeup again. "You look fine; don't sweat it."  
Reita grunted. "My hair's a mess. You wanna fix it for me?" At this, Maya sighed. It seemed Reita would never be content with how he looked today. Maya came to Reita's side, a can of hairspray in one hand and a bottle of sculpting gel in the other.  
"No matter how nice your hair, makeup, and clothes look, if you let your stress and fear show through today, you're gonna look like crap. If you want to look decent, all you have to do is relax. Just breathe." Maya ran his hand through Reita's hair. "Besides, if you let this stress you out, then how are you going to stay awake for her tonight?" Maya giggled.

Miyavi was having a mild-mannered conversation for once, and it was with Reita's mother. She was and old yet strong and independent woman, her gray hair just a sign of all of her years of triumph and her eyes filled with joy and pride. "I can't believe he's finally getting hitched today," Miyavi said with his usual goofy grin. "I've known him for so many years; it just seems so crazy, but I love him and she's amazing."  
Reita's mom nodded in agreement. "I remember Reita's father was always pushing for him to get married. But then he got lung cancer and the family was too preoccupied with that. I think if he were here now he would be proud of his son."  
About a half an hour later, everyone else began arriving, and so Ruki had to get up and begin doing his job. Because I was already in my dress, I couldn't come out and make sure everything was running smoothly; I had to put my faith in them.  
I was in my dressing room with Shou, Aoi, and Aiji. Aiji was adjusting my veil and kept saying to me over and over, "Just keep your composure, and everything will go well." He put a small barrette in my hair; he said it was his grandmother's and he wanted me to have good luck.  
I was prepared, and just as I took one last deep breath, Kyo poked his head into the door. "It's time," he growled in a wicked voice, his grin being the only indication that this occasion was a happy one.  
The ceremony itself was routine, but the most interesting events took place during the reception. I figured if there were any memories of the day I would remember, it would be from the reception.  
While our house band, the Underneath was playing, I was introduced to Reita's family. Since I was so many miles from home, only my mother was at the event; I had disowned my father during my adolescent years, so I didn't even bother to invite him.  
I happened to go for something to drink when I saw something I wasn't expecting. Saga and Uruha were dancing. Although the song was fast so most of their movements were mostly hip gyrations, it was the look in both men's eyes that held the same captivating expression as when true lovers slow dance. Seeing them reminded me why I was going through all of the stress that day.  
We went through all of the usuals- the bride and groom dance, the tossing of the bouquet, the toast and cutting of the cake…we had to start shutting down at about midnight because some of the rockers were getting tipsy, since we did have an open bar going.  
The rest of the GazettE drove Reita and me to a hotel. In the morning, we would be leaving on a trip to the Caribbean Islands. The boys carried Reita and me up to our hotel room, giggling and squealing the whole way. They threw us on the king size bed and, instead of leaving, they keep cheering for us to go at it. However, I wasn't going to attack my sweetheart with all of those eyes on us, so I took to teasing the members of the GazettE and throwing pillows at them until they scampered out of the hotel room.  
Reita and I remained a happy married couple for many years. We never did bear children, although we did get a puppy and she lived to be seventeen years old. Over time, the GazettE's popularity as a band weaned, but after another ten years there was a full world tour. Money was never a problem since the band invested smartly.  
Looking back upon these events, I wonder what my life would have been like if I hadn't left with the GazettE from Sir Read-A-Lot's that one day in January…


End file.
